Facilitators and Barriers of Technology Adoption and Social Connectedness among Rural Older Adults: A Qualitative Study
Open accessAbstract
Background: Social disconnection is a public health concern among rural Australian older adults. While research suggests technology can enhance social wellbeing and protect against social disconnection, many older adults are not digitally literate, and little is known as to why and how technology adoption could be promoted in rural contexts. This study aimed to (1) explore the barriers and facilitators of technology adoption among rural older adults and (2) determine the potential utility of technology to promote social connectedness in the aged population. The Theoretical Domains Framework and the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) were employed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the digital and social behaviours of rural Australian older adults. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 33 rural older adults aged between 65 and 87 years. Interviews were conducted over the phone, audio-recorded, and transcribed. Interview transcripts were coded and analysed using thematic analysis and the BCW. Results: Numerous barriers and facilitators of technology adoption were identified, with the most prominent being knowledge, perceived value, perceived self-efficacy, and social support. Findings suggest that older adults' technology adoption is not simply a technical matter, but influenced by various individual, social, and environmental contexts. Consideration of these factors during development, marketing, training and implementation may facilitate technology adoption among older adults. With regard to social connectedness, several rural barriers emerged, including low population density, geographic isolation, limited community opportunities and poor public transport infrastructure. Conclusion: Technology was consistently identified as a facilitator of the social experience, indicating that technology is a promising tool to enhance social connectedness among older adults, particularly those living in rural areas. Future research should focus on enhancing the capability, opportunity and motivation of older adults in technology adoption, with reference to the rural contexts.
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Cost concerns have been identified as a major barrier to adopting smart technology for older adults with fixed incomes, due to the costs of enabling and maintaining the continuous operation of complete and pervasive devices.
“Especially for older adults with fixed incomes [60], cost concerns have also been identified as a major barrier to adopting smart technology, due to the costs of enabling and maintaining the continuous operation of complete and pervasive devices [61].”
From Smart Speakers for Health and Well-Being of Older Adults: A Mixed-Methods Review (2025) · cites this paper as [60]
The Results (Physical opportunity; page unavailable) report that technology costs may limit adoption, especially for pensioners with fixed incomes. Participants discussed the purchase price of computers, the cost of classes, and extra costs for mobile coverage. The paper does not attribute this barrier to enabling and maintaining the continuous operation of complete and pervasive devices. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredConcerns about privacy, technology anxiety, and low digital literacy exacerbate these issues, as older adults fear the accidental disclosure of personal information.
“Concerns about privacy, technology anxiety, and low digital literacy exacerbate these issues, as older adults fear the accidental disclosure of personal information [59], as portrayed in media reports on data breaches, hacking, and similar instances (An et al., 2025) [60].”
From Smart Speakers for Health and Well-Being of Older Adults: A Mixed-Methods Review (2025) · cites this paper as [60]
The Results (Automatic motivation; page unavailable) describe reluctance to share personal details online, fear of cybercrime, and anxiety about making mistakes. The Results (Psychological capability; page unavailable) also link limited digital literacy with lower confidence and user errors. The paper does not specifically say participants feared accidentally disclosing personal information. (LLM, conf=0.84)
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- Authors
- Chan, C. K. Y., Burton, K., & Flower, R. L.
- Affiliations
- La Trobe University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Chan, Carina K. Y.
- Venue
- Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2024-09-02
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 2398167-2398167
- ISSN
- 2164-2850 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC11373358
- OpenAlex
- W4402203978
- Cited by
- 32
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 16
- FWCI
- 27.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- La Trobe University
- Funders
- Income Growth Grant Scheme
- School of Psychology and Public Health’s, La Trobe University
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Demography › Technology Use by Older Adults
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › ICT in Developing Communities
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Aging, Elder Care, and Social Issues
- Keywords
- technology adoption, rural elderly, social connectedness, social disconnection, digital literacy, barriers and facilitators, self-efficacy, social support, geographic isolation, population density, public transport infrastructure, Behaviour Change Wheel, Theoretical Domains Framework, social well-being
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