The Silent Generation vs Baby Boomers: Socio-demographic and psychological predictors of the “gray” digital inequalities

Abstract

The current study examined the socio-demographic and psychological factors associated with using digital search engines among two generations of older adults. The self-administered questionnaires were completed manually by 231 Silent Generation seniors (those born between 1925 and 1945) and 536 Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) in Israel. The findings show differences between the generations in patterns of association between socio-demographic and psychological variables and search engine use. Among the Silent Generation, only socio-economic status and education were associated with search engine use, with these variables therefore defining their entry threshold to the digital world. In contrast, among Baby Boomers, all socio-demographic characteristics (excluding gender) were associated with search engine use. Loneliness was negatively associated with the dependent variable among both generations, while psychological distress had a significant effect only among Baby Boomers. We believe that our findings can help develop policies and targeted interventions to counteract expansive social inequalities in internet access for and search engine information-seeking by seniors.