Older adults and online communities: recent findings, gaps and opportunities Online publication date: Wed, 28-Jul-2021
by Ryan A. Ebardo; Merlin Teodosia C. Suarez
International Journal of Web Based Communities (IJWBC), Vol. 17, No. 3, 2021
Abstract: Rapid population ageing and wider access to technology create opportunities for older adults to engage in online communities where they participate in various forms of social exchanges. Older adults are thriving online and it is paramount for research to present the recent directions of scholarly works to depict the everyday digital lives of this specific social cluster. Through a systematic literature review, we identify 20 papers investigating online communities of older adults from the last six years. Participation by older adults in online communities are primarily motivated by cognitive benefits, engagement and enjoyment. Further inquiry revealed that they are adopting communities in social media, that socio-cultural contextualisation is vital and modern methodologies are appropriate. We direct the attention of future studies towards the impact of social media, effects of phases in late life and inclusion of older adults from different cultural backgrounds to depict today's reality of their digital lives.
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