Research on Bridging the Digital Divide for the Elderly from the Perspective of Triadic Reciprocal Determinism

The aging population in China faces significant challenges in integrating into the digital society due to the "digital divide" which hinders their access, usage, and knowledge acquisition of digital information technology. This study employed a semi-structured interview method in qualitative research and utilized ROST-CM6 and Nvivo11 Pro software for text analysis. The findings revealed that the primary barriers to digital integration for elderly people are difficulties in accessing digital devices, using digital devices, and obtaining digital information. The article argues that the digital divide for the elderly is a result of the interplay of personal cognitive factors, behavioral factors, and environmental factors, as explained by the triadic reciprocal determinism. Consequently, bridging the digital divide for the elderly requires collaborative efforts from three levels: at the cognitive level, elderly individuals must modify their personal concepts and enhance their motivation for digital use; at the behavioral level, they need to improve their individual action ability and actively acquire digital knowledge; at the environmental level, a multi-party support system, and an elderly-friendly society must be established and improved.