"Am I representative (of my age)? No, I'm not"-Attitudes to technologies and technology development differ but unite individuals across rather than within generations.

Sofi Fristedt,Steven M Schmidt,Susanne Iwarsson,Samantha Svärdh,Charlotte Löfqvist,Anja K Leist

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0250425

Sofi Fristedt, Steven M Schmidt + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250425

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Abstract

While a broad spectrum of technologies is integrated in everyday life and routines, most research on ageing, health and technology has focused on attitudes toward and adoption of digital technologies including e-health, or home based monitoring systems. The aim of this study was to explore differences and similarities in attitudes and experiences with different types of technologies and development within and between three generations. We applied a qualitative, descriptive design and recruited a purposeful sample of participants from three generations (30-39, 50-59, 70-79 year old). The 25 participants took part in 3 x 2 focus groups. Forming four categories, the findings show that technologies enable as well as complicate everyday life. Participants expressed trust as well as uncertainty about risks when using technology and stated that use of digital services is required while support is limited. They identified that technology development is inevitable but not always in the service of users. In conclusion, experiences of and attitudes towards technologies and technology development are not limited to generation; perspectives sometimes unite individuals across rather than within generations. Thus future technologies and technology development, as well as services and policies aiming to support the use of said technologies should consider individual user perspectives including needs, desires, beliefs or goals neglected in the existing technology models, and involve users beyond generations defined by chronological age. Such strategies are likely to be more successful in supporting development of technologies usable for all.

Highlights

Technology is omnipresent in everyday life for people of all ages, from the smart phones in our pockets to the refrigerators in our kitchens [1]
A broad spectrum of technologies is well integrated in people’s everyday life and routines, but most research on ageing, health and technology has focused on attitudes toward and adoption of digital technologies such as information and communication technology (ICT), ehealth, wearable monitoring devices, home based monitoring systems, or smart home technology [6]
Technologies enable as well Trust and uncertainty about risks as complicate everyday life when using technology

Summary

Introduction

Technology is omnipresent in everyday life for people of all ages, from the smart phones in our pockets to the refrigerators in our kitchens [1]. [5], the present study focuses on goods and related services. A broad spectrum of technologies is well integrated in people’s everyday life and routines, but most research on ageing, health and technology has focused on attitudes toward and adoption of digital technologies such as information and communication technology (ICT), ehealth, wearable monitoring devices, home based monitoring systems, or smart home technology [6]. Our study departed from Lim’s [9] conclusion that generations are formed by technology used by people belonging to certain age cohorts during their formative period (10–25 years of age), and belonging to different technological generations explains why older adults find present day devices difficult to use. We acknowledge that definitions of generations may are changeable, and a process-oriented “redefinition of and by generations in the course of time” [10, p. 5] is influenced by technology development and media

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