"Easy Life or Chaos?": Older Adults' Digital Experiences, Well-Being, and Patterns of Engagement: A Qualitative Study.
Introduction: Digital technologies have become integral to everyday life; however, older adults' engagement remains uneven. This study aimed to explore how older adults interpret digital technologies and make sense of their digital experiences, with particular attention to how these experiences rela...
| Publicado en: | Inquiry (00469580) Vol. 63; pp. 1 - 14 |
|---|---|
| Autores principales: | , , |
| Formato: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Sage Publications Inc.
7/6/2026
|
| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=195155676&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 195155676 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 00469580 INQ jtl: Inquiry (00469580) issn: 00469580 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: 7/6/2026 vid: 63 pid: 344 pub: Sage Publications Inc. place: Thousand Oaks, California artinfo: ui: 195155676 195155676 195155676 10.1177/00469580261466645 195155676 ppf: 1 ppct: 13 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P tig: atl: "Easy Life or Chaos?": Older Adults' Digital Experiences, Well-Being, and Patterns of Engagement: A Qualitative Study. aug: au: Akgül, Hanife Yıldırım, Gülşah Mayda, Mustafa affil: Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling, Educational Sciences, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale, Türkiye sug: subj: Digital Technology Utilization Adaptation, Psychological Social Participation Social Inclusion Psychological Well-Being Human Aged Aged, 80 and Over Male Female Turkiye Qualitative Studies Exploratory Research Semi-Structured Interview Snowball Sample Thematic Analysis Needs Assessment Health Behavior Activities of Daily Living Health Literacy Ageism Cognition Emotions Autonomy Fear Confidence Avoidance (Psychology) Coping Social Factors Healthy Aging Purposive Sample Digital Divide Functional Status Aged: 65+ years Aged, 80 & over Male Female ab: Introduction: Digital technologies have become integral to everyday life; however, older adults' engagement remains uneven. This study aimed to explore how older adults interpret digital technologies and make sense of their digital experiences, with particular attention to how these experiences relate to well-being in later life. Methods: This qualitative study adopted a phenomenological orientation. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 22 adults aged 65 and over in Türkiye. Participants were selected using maximum variation and snowball sampling strategies to ensure diversity. Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach. Results: Five interrelated themes were identified: meanings attributed to digital, digital experiences (facilitators and barriers), impacts on well-being, coping and adaptation strategies, and needs in digital processes. Digital engagement was experienced as both enabling and constraining. Facilitating experiences supported social connection, daily functioning, and health-related practices, while barriers included limited digital literacy, economic constraints, and experiences of ageism. These experiences generated cognitive, behavioral, and emotional impacts, ranging from autonomy, engagement, and satisfaction to fear, withdrawal, dependence, and reduced confidence. Importantly, emotional responses functioned as mechanisms shaping patterns of engagement or avoidance. Participants adopted both self-directed and support-seeking coping strategies and emphasized educational, technical, and social needs for meaningful digital participation. Conclusion: Digital engagement in later life is a dynamic process shaped by structural, emotional, and social factors. Digital inclusion should be addressed as a determinant of well-being, requiring integrated approaches that combine digital literacy training, age-friendly design, and socially supportive environments. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
|---|