Digital technologies are becoming more pervasive in all areas of society. Enabling everyone to have access and capability to use the Internet and associated digital technologies, summed up in the term ‘digital inclusion', is seen to have wide-ranging benefits to the individual, to the economy and to society. For older people, being digitally included can help them to maintain their independence, social connectedness and sense of worth in the face of declining health or limited capabilities, as well as also offering new opportunities to improve their quality of life. At present however, access to the technology and to the benefits is not equally distributed either between or within nations, and older people tend to be on the ‘wrong' side of what is termed the ‘digital divide'. Governments globally are developing strategies to promote digital inclusion and indeed Internet uptake is increasing steadily, including amongst older people. However, such strategies have focussed on getting people online, and there appears to be an assumption that once someone is online they will remain ‘digitally engaged'. In fact statistics show that some users give up using the Internet, and there is emerging evidence that older people are more vulnerable to the factors which can lead to this outcome. The authors see this phenomenon as a potential but largely unrecognised ‘fourth digital divide' which has serious implications for social inclusion. The objectives of this article are (a) to raise awareness of the phenomenon of digital disengagement by considering some of the emerging evidence, (b) to explore someof the potential implications of not recognising and therefore not addressing the needs of the digitally disengaged older population, and(c) to reveal the prevailing gap in knowledge which future research should address.

Purpose -There is recognition that digital ICTs have the potential to support older people to live independently, to ''age well'', to promote social inclusion and to facilitate access to commercial and government services. Research conducted by the Sus-IT project under the ''New Dynamics of Ageing'' Programme has focused on how to help older ICT users to remain digitally engaged given the barriers that they can face and which can quickly erode their confidence or capability. Access to appropriate learning and support resources is a key issue for sustaining older ICT users. The aim of this paper is to investigate older people's ICT learning and support needs.Design/methodology/approach -Older people themselves have been central to the research; more than 1,000 older people have participated in this research through open workshops, established formal and informal panels and groups across the UK, and through contacts with a number of organisations working with older people. Key research users (e.g. organisations representing older people and those providing services and products to be used by older people) have also collaborated in the research in a variety of roles. Findings -Findings show that older people value very highly the benefits and independence that computer use gives them, and they are often exceptionally tenacious in trying to remain digitally connected -persisting in the face of many obstacles, and often without awareness or use of existing aids to accessibility. If disengagement begins, it is usually a gradual process, rather than a single event, and likely to result from a combination of factors -changes in physical and cognitive abilities, in support, in technology and in personal circumstances. The availability of help and support emerges as a factor of paramount importance to sustaining digital connection.Practical implications -The conceptual model of the risks of sustaining digital engagement of older people arising from the research has significant implications for both policy and practicefor instance, in relation to ''digital by default''. A user-generated strategy for provision of sustainable, community-based ICT learning and support for older people is a key output from Sus-IT.Originality/value -The issues surrounding sustaining digital inclusion in older age are multi-faceted and complex -and addressing these will have significant benefits not only for older people but also for the economy and society.

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