Authors:
Miguel Gomez-Hernandez
1
;
Elena Villalba-Mora
2
and
Xavier Ferre
3
Affiliations:
1
Ageing Lab, Centre for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de la UPM, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
;
2
Ageing Lab, Centre for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de la UPM, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain, Biomedical Research Networking Centre in Bioengineering Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Spain
;
3
Ageing Lab, Centre for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de la UPM, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
Keyword(s):
Mobile Phones, Tablets, Seniors, Barriers, Motivations.
Abstract:
Spain has a rapidly ageing population that still faces a large digital divide. This preliminary study aims to research the barriers and motivations that Spanish older adults experience with mobile phones and tablets. To investigate it, semi-structured interviews and participant observations were carried out with seniors living in Madrid. An anthropological approach was taken, to look at the social profile and cultural context of the seniors. The preliminary results indicate that the tablet and the smartphone are not common devices among the participants. The seniors also remarked that huge physical barriers, poor design, and a general aversion hinder the use of mobile technologies, although these greatly depend on the social context of the participants. Nevertheless, the devices have been acknowledged to be supportive for communication, safety, entertainment, etc. Future studies will broaden the research topic and include a more diverse population.