Beyond the digital divide: Exploring older adults’ experiences of digital inclusion and socialisation

Abstract

This study examines how older adults engage with digital technologies, with a particular focus on social media and online communities, and how these experiences reflect and shape their Digital Maturity. Moving beyond deficit-based views of ageing and technology, it explores how older adults perceive and navigate their digital engagement, the strategies they use to overcome challenges and leverage opportunities, and how cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions intersect in their digital lives. Drawing on in-depth narrative interviews with 17 participants aged 55–75, the study analyses personal accounts of digital meaning-making, barriers and enablers, and online socialisation through the Digital Maturity framework. The findings reveal the heterogeneous nature of older adults’ digital trajectories, highlighting individual agency, emotional resilience, and the role of digital platforms in sustaining social connectivity in later life. By articulating how Digital Maturity manifests in everyday digital practices, the study contributes to debates in social gerontology and digital inclusion, and offers person-centred insights for policymakers, practitioners, and technology designers seeking to foster equitable, age-inclusive digital environments. These results also point towards future research on technology adoption and digital well-being across the life course, calling for more nuanced, context-sensitive approaches to understanding digital engagement among diverse older populations.