A new article titled "How Older Adults Experience the Digitalisation of Their Everyday Life: The Case of E-Reading" by Werner Schirmer, Anina Vercruyssen, Nelly Geerts, and Ignace Glorieux has just been published in Behaviour & Information Technology.
This study investigates how older individuals experience the digitalisation of their daily lives, focusing specifically on e-reading. By analyzing focus group data through a constructivist lens inspired by sociologist Niklas Luhmann, the authors explore how older adults understand and engage with digital technologies.
The findings reveal that while older adults appreciate the practicality and functionality of e-reading, they also feel that traditional books hold an "emotional materiality" that e-readers cannot replicate. Furthermore, the article discusses how digitalisation is generally accepted when it offers tangible benefits but is often rejected when it is seen as an unwelcome, rapid change that interferes with their daily routines.
You can read the full article here.
Citation: Schirmer, Werner, Vercruyssen, Anina, Geerts, Nelly, & Glorieux, Ignace (2025). How older adults experience the digitalisation of their everyday life: the case of e-reading. Behaviour & Information Technology, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2025.2486569
