Not good days for technophobes: older internet users during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Older individuals who face overwhelming threats may develop a Hostile World Scenario (HWS). Internet use may be helpful in regulating HWS, but technophobia – fear of or discomfort with modern technologies, a phenomenon especially common among older adults – may constrain users’ online activity and the benefits derived therefrom. Relying on an online survey of 407 internet users aged 60 and up, this study explored the extent to which technophobia affected their ability to use the internet in a beneficial manner during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results demonstrated significant negative associations between technophobia and internet use scope and intensity. Technophobia also correlated positively with users’ HWS – a correlation that remained significant even after controlling for background variables and online activities. The findings suggest that technophobia plays a role in digital divides among seniors and constrains adjustment. It should thus be considered a risk factor in later life during routine and adverse times alike.

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to express her appreciation to Prof. Dov Shmotkin of Tel-Aviv University for his insightful suggestions concerning this study.

Disclosure statement

The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was conducted in the framework of Ageing + Communication + Technologies (ACT), a research project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and housed at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.