Older People and Connectivity: How Has the Pandemic Changed the Older Population’s Use of ICT s and Social Networks?

Abstract

The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered numerous changes in our lives. Digital tools have made it possible to continue with the development of tasks or activities of multiple kinds. This fact has not bypassed the elderly who often find themselves in a situation of inequality caused by the generational digital divide. Using a mixed methodology combining quantitative and qualitative techniques, this study aims to understand and analyze how this situation has influenced the use of ICT s and social networks by the elderly. The research participants are 415 students from the University of Experience of a Spanish university aged 55–84 years old. The results obtained show changes in the way participants relate to technology since the beginning of the pandemic in terms of time and purpose. It also highlights the need to take measures to combat the generational digital divide, a problem that older people recognize as their own.