Acceso y uso de las tecnologías de información y comunicación en la vejez. Análisis de obstáculos y facilitadores en la apropiación digital de trabajadores mayores del sector público de la ciudad de Mercedes, en el año 2021

Abstract

An aging population and the advancement of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have transformed social, economic and cultural structures, changing everyday activities and posing a challenge to a society with multiple inequalities. With contributions from studies on the use of digital tools by older people, and research on prejudices and stereotypes about old age, this article compares the experiences and perceptions of young and older public sector workers in the city of Mercedes (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina) in order to identify, on the one hand, the factors that facilitate and hinder the digital appropriation by older workers, and on the other hand, the profiles of young and older ICT users in the workplace.

Based on a qualitative design, 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted with people in two age groups (25-35 and 60+). Among the factors hindering ICT appropriation, stereotypes (inability to learn, incompetence, inflexibility, senility), which operate unconsciously and involuntarily, are a key one. In turn, fear and embarrassment can become a barrier to the use of digital technologies by older people. Work trajectories and the figure of the warm expert are facilitators of ICT appropriation. Three profiles of older users were identified: basic, intermediate and advanced, according to the level of operation of one, two or more digital tools.

In conclusion, older people perceive the workplace as a place of support, and they feel supported in their use of ICTs by their younger colleagues. Nevertheless, young and older people reproduce stereotypes that act as barriers when it comes to assessing their ability to learn and be productive. In spite of the rapid pace of technology innovations, many people are excluded from the benefits of technology use. This is evidenced in the context of technology-mediated job activities.