Life stage or Age? Reviewing perceptions of oldest digital technologies users

Abstract

Life stage transitions, such as having grandchildren, getting married, retiring, being widowed, moving home or suffering illness, do not happen at the same age for everyone – one's peers could be decades younger or older. However, the communications infrastructure used to manage these life-changing events are similar for all ages. Many digital technologies studies prefer to focus on the easy to reach 25–40-year-olds, and, if included, the oldest age cohort is usually “60 and older” resulting in 40+ years of people's lives being under-researched and misunderstood. Exploring ageism in research practices, using the UK as the exemplar, this chapter highlights issues in the perceptions and mis-representation of the oldest in published research about users' everyday digital technologies experiences. Taking a reflexive approach to the analysis, which is framed by cultural studies and the circuit of culture, the conventional age led approach is challenged. Integrating age inclusiveness into ethics reviews and following a life stage and age approach in studies of digital technologies used by adults is advocated. This approach would deliver a more informed outcome, identifying the everyday and ordinary user behaviours that are missed through ageist judgements about frailties and decline that prevail in research about the oldest.

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