Determinants of Mobile Digital Information Usage among Senior Consumers: Focusing on secondary digital divide

Abstract

This study analyzes factors that determine the usage of digital information by senior consumers in the mobile environment. Senior consumers are alienated from digital information in South Korea; therefore, there have been increasing attempts to resolve this digital divide and reduce the digital information usage gap between young adults and senior consumers. The study used panel data from the National Information Society Agency (2017); there were 1,463 participants, aged 50-79 years. SPSS 19.0 was used to conduct the statistical analyses for frequency, factor analysis, Cronbach’ α analysis, descriptive analysis and hierarchical multiple-regression analysis. The results are as follows. First, negative attitude toward information society negatively influenced the mobile digital information usage in diversity context. Second, average monthly income, degree of digital device usage motivation, positive attitude toward digital device usage, digital literacy of PC & Mobile, and family support positively influenced the mobile digital information usage in diversity context. Third, negative attitudes toward information society negatively influenced the mobile digital information usage in quality context. Forth, average monthly income, degree of digital device usage motivation, positive attitude toward digital device usage, digital literacy of PC & mobile, and family support positively influenced the mobile digital information usage in quality context. The study results can help further understand mobile usage behaviors among senior citizens and the implications on their quality of life in the digital information era. Keywords: second digital divide, digital information usage, attitude, digital literacy, mobile usage