Strategies on Enhancing the Digital Well-being of Chinese Elderly Groups in the Age of Digital Economy
Tong Wanju *
Elderly Digital Well-being Research, Humanities and Social Sciences Research Project of Huaiyin Institute of Technology (Project No. 24HGS004), Jiangsu Province, China and School of Business, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, China.
Tu Yijie
School of Business, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, China.
Zheng Jilai
Library of Huaiyin Institute of Technology, China.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The application of new technologies serves as a driving engine for rapid economic and social development, reshaping human lifestyles. However, not everyone can benefit equally from the digital dividends brought by technological advancements. How can the elderly groups fully integrate into digital life in the age? Promoting the network ageing-friendly transformation to enhance the digital well-being of elderly groups is a necessary path for the country to actively respond to population ageing. Through literature analysis, this paper summarizes the research status of digital well-being of the elderly, and finds that moderate Internet use helps to improve the digital well-being of the elderly. There are many factors affecting the well-being of the elderly, both internal and external. Analyzing the digital well-being dilemma of elderly groups based on specific situational practices, the main problems include external digital access barriers and digital divide, design flaws in digital products, insufficient social support systems, as well as internal digital exclusion and cognitive issues. Finally, in response to the digital dilemma faced by the elderly group, the study proposes to lower the threshold for their digital lives, strengthen the cultivation of their digital literacy through the application of the Foot in the Door Effect, strengthen supervision of their daily lives, adopt the "Time Bank" Mutual Aid Service Model to improve the digital social support system for the elderly, and continue to promote network ageing-friendly transformation. In summary, by integrating efforts from society, enterprises, families, the elderly themselves, and governments, the internet will facilitate the elderly-friendly transformation, enabling the elderly to share in the benefits of digitization and enhancing their digital well-being.
Keywords: Elderly groups, digital well-being, ageing-friendly transformation