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Older People’s Use of Digital Technology During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Open accessAbstract
Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic is having a major impact on the lives of everyone, but in particular on the health and well-being of older people. It has also disrupted the way that individuals access services and interact with one another, and physical distancing and “Stay at Home” orders have seen digital interaction become a necessity. While these restrictions have highlighted the importance of technology in everyday life, little is known about how older adults have responded to this change. Methods: Two surveys, one in 2019 and another in 2020 collected data on a combined total of 1923 older adults aged 65 years and older in Canada. These looked at how older adults think about and use technology, with the 2020 survey additionally questioning how COVID-19 has impacted their use and attitudes towards technology. Results: While older adults feel more isolated in 2020, many feel positive about the benefits of technology and have increased technology use during the pandemic to support their health, wellness, and communication needs. Discussion: The results highlight the potential of technology for supporting older adults in various aspects of healthy aging. While these results point to the opportunities afforded by technology, challenges remain, such as how social and economic factors influence technology uptake.
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“More recent studies, particularly those conducted during or after the COVID-19 pandemic, were shaped by accelerated digital adoption, heightened reliance on remote communication, and growing familiarity with AI-driven devices [40].”
From Smart Speakers for Health and Well-Being of Older Adults: A Mixed-Methods Review (2025) · cites this paper as [40]
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“Other studies among ethnic minority older adults have found similar results, showing that people used video calls to maintain social connections [63,64].”
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“The increasing use of IM among older adults, both globally and in Taiwan, has been documented by recent studies (Barbosa Neves et al., 2019; Chou & Liu, 2016; Sixsmith et al., 2022), highlighting its relevance as a social tool for maintaining familial ties.”
Tseng, J. T. (2026) · JMIR Aging · doi:10.2196/80541
“Designing inclusive digital programs that recognize cultural variation in communication norms and family roles may enhance both participation and perceived benefits among diverse aging populations [58,63].”
InfluentialFu, L., Li, M., He, L.-P., & Fang, Y. (2025) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1560539
Goncalves, R., Faisal, W., Stebbins, T., & Blackberry, I. (2025) · Journal of Cancer Policy · doi:10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100589
Wright, A. L., Butt, M. L., Pace, J. E., & Freeman, B. (2025) · International Journal of Qualitative Methods · doi:10.1177/16094069251333208
“…report the initiation of digital research participant databases, some with messaging capabilities, in which participants register for future contact for research they are eligible for (Barbour et al., 2021; Helmer et al., 2021; Lessard & Puhl, 2021; Pogue et al., 2022; Sixsmith et al., 2022).”
Liang, N., Li, G., Werner, L., & Pitts, B. J. (2025) · Universal Access in the Information Society · doi:10.1007/s10209-024-01187-y
“One particular type of technology designed to enable such communication and social exchanges, and that saw a rapid uptick in usage by older populations, is videoconferencing platforms (VCPs) [4].”
Understanding the world of physical and digital objects: A qualitative exploration
Kohli, S., & Kharshiing, K. D. (2025) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-024-07213-9
“Moreover, they continued to use these technologies even after the pandemic (Sixsmith et al., 2022 ).”
The Role of Sociability in Mental Health in Mid to Late Life during COVID-19
Fiori, K. L., Rauer, A., Marini, C. M., Khan, A., & So, C. (2024) · Journal of Social Behavioral and Health Sciences · doi:10.5590/jsbhs.2024.18.1.23
The place of older people in the 5.0 society – the rightful presence or cyberexclusion
Adamczyk, M., Karpiuk, M., & Soler, U. (2024) · Community Notebook. People, Education and Welfare in the Society 5.0 · doi:10.61007/qdc.2024.1.257
Xiang, A., Lecompte, M., & Yang, L. (2024) · Journal of Applied Gerontology · doi:10.1177/07334648241282593
“Despite the increasing popularity of VC and its well-documented importance in older adults ’ social life (e.g., Sixsmith et al., 2022) and cognition (e.g., Nie et al., 2021), it remains unclear how features speci fi c to a VC environment might affect older adults ’ memory for critical social…”
InfluentialMather, C. A., Bailey, J. F., & Almond, H. M. (2023) · Knowledge · doi:10.3390/knowledge3040042
Lee, W., Lee, H., Yoo, C., Kim, D.-E., & Pan, Y. (2023) · Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings · doi:10.3384/ecp203027
Lee, K., Cassidy, J., Mitchell, J., & Hall, A. (2023) · Journal of social service research · doi:10.1080/01488376.2023.2265420
“Some evidence indicates technology use greatly increased in this population during COVID-19 (Sixsmith et al., 2022).”
BackgroundInfluentialKandt, J., Deng, H., & Porter, M. M. (2025) · Travel Behaviour and Society · doi:10.1016/j.tbs.2025.101213
Features of Delayed Aging in the Post-COVID World. Review of Studies
Galkin, K. (2023) · Social area / Социальное пространство · doi:10.15838/sa.2023.2.38.2
“Пандемия показала, что цифровая грамотность пожилых открывала доступ к таким важным источникам инфор мации, как ehealth, заказу продуктов на дом, а также поиску альтернативной медицин ской информации относительно коронави русной инфекции и ее влияния (Парфенова, Петухова, 2022; Sixsmith et al., 2022).”
Metadata
- Authors
- Sixsmith, A., Horst, B. R., Simeonov, D., & Mihailidis, A.
- Affiliations
- Simon Fraser University (CA)
- Western University (CA)
- AGE-WELL (CA)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Sixsmith, Andrew
- Venue
- Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2022-04-21
- Volume
- 42
- Issue
- 1-2
- Pages
- 19-24
- ISSN
- 0270-4676 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-4183
- PMC
- PMC9038938
- OpenAlex
- W4224228754
- Cited by
- 205
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 33 · 2025: 59 · 2024: 65 · 2023: 40 · 2022: 8
- FWCI
- 71.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Bulletin of Science Technology & Society (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Technology Use by Older Adults
- Social Sciences › Life-span and Life-course Studies › Aging, Elder Care, and Social Issues
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Keywords
- older adults, digital technology use, COVID-19 pandemic, technology adoption, social isolation, healthy aging, telemedicine, social communication, stay-at-home orders, social distancing, attitudes toward technology, socioeconomic factors
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