This study aimed to investigate Japanese older adults’ experiences of and perspectives on using digital devices in everyday life, with a particular focus on how convenient (or inconvenient) they found them. Digitalization has advanced rapidly in recent years, but promoting the use of digital devices among older adults has been challenging. Although the Japanese government has been promoting user-centered digital transformation with the slogan “No One Left Behind,” to date there has been little research exploring how older adults perceive and experience the digital society. This qualitative study involved 18 community-dwelling Japanese older adults: 10 participated in semi-structured individual interviews and eight in focus groups. Both interviews and focus group discussions were designed to elicit the challenges and benefits of using digital technologies in everyday life. All the interviews and focus group discussions were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as a framework. Three themes were generated: 1) Convenience (or incovenience) of digital devices for managing safety, information, health, payments, and social life; 2) Physical functional issues and lack of knowledge and skills that affected the level of convenience; and 3) Environmental factors associated with the (in)convenience of using digital devices. The findings will be used to suggest strategies for addressing the digital divide as it affects older adults — for example, implementing digital skill training focusing on their areas of interest, such as information and safety management.

Authors:
Takeda Kazuya, Hiroshima University, Japan
Mineko Wada, Hiroshima University, Japan
Yuko Hatake, Hiroshima University, Japan
Harune Hamano, Hiroshima University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Kazuya Takeda is an occupational therapist. He is the Department of Rehabilitation at Kaneda Hospital, Okayama, Japan. He is currently enrolled in a doctoral program at the Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University.

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kazuya-Takeda-5

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