IN3’s Communication Networks & Social Change (CNSC) research group is pleased to invite you to the seminar «The role of technology generations in understanding how older adults use new mass and social media» given by Loredana Ivan, associate professor at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (Romania).
The seminar will be held, virtually and in person, on Thursday, February 23 at 17:00 h (CET) in Room 201 of the Research Hub (Building C).
Venue
Research Hub (Building C - Room 201)
Rambla del Poblenou, 154
08018 Barcelona
Espanya
When
23/02/2023 17.00h
Organized by
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, IN3's Communication Networks & Social Change (CNSC) research group
Program
Summary
In our information society, media use plays an important role. However, knowledge is lacking about whether different birth cohorts show preferences for specific traditional or new media. We provide empirical evidence for the concept of ‘technology generations’ formulated by Sackmann & Weymann (1994; 2013) in relation to media use by older adults. We tested differences in media use and media preferences in Austria, Canada, Denmark, Israel, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain, using commensurate samples consisting of Internet users aged 60 years and older (N=10527). Our cross-cultural data reveal differences between the technology generations, especially in terms of media use, but not in media preferences (time spent using different media). We also found the effect of country of origin to be stronger than the effect of generation in explaining older adults’ preferences for traditional/vs new media. The results point to the need for a more nuanced view of the concept of ‘technology generation’, when taking into account some contextual aspects, that would differentiate the way different age cohorts incorporate technologies in their lives.
Loredana Ivan
Associate Professor at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Communication Department, Bucharest, Romania. She has a PhD in Sociology and a post-doctorate in Social Psychology, and she is currently the chair of the European Network of Aging Studies (ENAS). Her areas of interest include: Interpersonal Communication mediated by Technology; Fake News & Generations; Family Communication. She has led some special issues in the area of ageing and communication technology (“Fighting Fake News: A Generational Approach“, Societies, 2021; “Ageing and Interpersonal Communication”, Societies, 2020; “Ageing and Digital Communication”, ESSACHESS - Journal for Communication Studies. She is the author and co-author of several book chapters that draw on ageism and digital communication later in life.