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Introduction
The elderly have traditionally been excluded from the deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). They are frequently described as technophobic. This characterization has fostered a stereotype of the elderly as the age group with the lowest rates of computer and internet usage (Neves and Amaro, 2012; Saunders, 2004). However, the emergence of smartphones has helped the elderly to rapidly change their attitudes toward ICT and the internet (Boontarig et al., 2012). The use of the internet by the elderly has increased rapidly across the world in the last several years. In Korea, internet use among old adults (above 60 years old) increased from 30 percent in 2011 to 71.6 percent by 2013, with half of the elderly users participating in social networking services (SNS), such as Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, etc. (Korea Internet Security Agency, 2013).
Currently, both ICT and SNS have a major effect on the lives of older adults. ICT and SNS faciliate independent living for elderly people with age-specific barriers, such as impaired mobility, vision, and hearing, etc. (Gaßner and Conrad, 2010), allow governments to deliver telecare services to older people and their families at home (Hedström, 2007), and enhance their quality of life by electronically connecting them to all corners of society. ICT and SNS are advocated as a means for older people to overcome social exclusion and promote social inclusion (Percival and Hanson, 2006). In this context, ICT-based activities can be described as a potent tool for older adults’ individual and collective empowerment.
However, so far, little research has been conducted on older adults’ empowerment through ICT-based activities. Many studies have centered on improving their standing in relation to the “digital divide” (Mildward, 2003) by facilitating their internet and SNS engagement (Hill et al., 2008). However, skills permitting older adults to use the internet and SNS effectively, i.e., ICT skills, social skills, and complementary skills, have rarely been assessed in relation to active aging and empowerment. This study focussed on elderly people who have adopted ICT and participated in ICT-based activities, and explored variables associated with their individual and collective empowerment by utilizing data collected by a questionnaire survey.
Literature review
Empowerment
The concept of empowerment arose in relation to a reaction to oppression and inequality within...