Abstract
This article investigates the changes in the use of traditional and new media by different technology generations. Focusing on the changes in the use of Email, Chat and Social Network Sites by older people, it explores the process by which new media become ‘old’ and reach a saturation point. Collected survey data suggest differences in media use between the three technology generations distinguished in this study: the ‘mechanical’ generation (born in 1938 or before), the ‘household revolution’ generation (born between 1939 and 1948), and the ‘technology spread’ generation (born between 1949 and 1963). This longitudinal and transnational study provides evidence of media saturation, showing that an increase in both the availability of and access to media does not lead to an increase in use, even in older adults who are behind in the adoption of the new media. Finally, the article discusses the findings, arguing for an interplay between individual and structural lag in later life.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 3588-3613 |
| Number of pages | 26 |
| Journal | New Media and Society |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Early online date | 2022 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by ACT project (Ageing Communication Technologies), https://actproject.ca/
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022.
Funding
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by ACT project (Ageing Communication Technologies), https://actproject.ca/
Keywords
- Individual lag
- media saturation
- media use
- social-structural lag
- technology acceptance
- technology generations
- traditional media and new media