Resources and repertoires: Elderly online practices

Abstract

Inspired by the theoretical notion of media repertoires, this article analyses what online repertoires Swedish senior citizens construct in everyday life. It answers two research questions: What online repertoires do elderly users have? How do elderly users’ online repertoires vary depending on their access to material, discursive and social resources? The article draws on data from a large, representative Swedish survey ( n = 1264, response rate 63%), and uses correlations and multiple regression analysis to identify and analyse online repertoires with reference to elderly users’ access to resources such as income, infrastructure, level of education and social networks. The analysis reveals a significant element of selectivity in the online repertoires of elderly users. It also shows strong connections between different Internet activities. In addition, it offers substantial evidence in support of the proposition that individuals who are resource rich have broader repertoires and higher frequency of usage than other users.