Elderly Persons and Internet Use

Abstract

The inclusion of the elderly in the digital era could positively impact their social and economic welfare. However, their level of Internet use is relatively low in Spain compared to other sectors of the population. The present study aims to explain the Internet use in this segment, capturing the heterogeneity across gender in the technology acceptance model (TAM). A sample of 492 individuals over 50 years old has been analyzed using the multigroup approach of structural equations models. The results show that although TAM is suitable for studying the phenomenon, it is necessary to consider how the gender gap in the Internet use development is real for seniors. Contrary to previous results that pointed to a greater importance of the ease of use for women than men among Internet users, male elders seem to perceive more usefulness due to higher levels of ease of use than woman. This ease of use is also better explained by the level of enjoyment for males. All these results point to unique gender differences for older adults in their Internet use.