Does retirement reduce familiarity with Information and Communication Technology?

Abstract

This paper analyses the effect of retirement on the familiarity with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) of older individuals. We argue that inability to cope with ICT might represent a threat for older individuals’ social inclusion. To account for the potential endogeneity of retirement with respect to familiarity with ICT, we instrument retirement decision with the age-eligibility for early and statutory retirement pension schemes. Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, we show that retirement reduces the computer literacy and the frequency of internet utilization for men and women. This finding is robust to the inclusion as control factors of health, cognition and social network indicators, which the literature has shown to be affected by retirement. Overall, the reduction in the familiarity with ICT after retirement tends to be stronger in the long-run.

Remote Working and Mental Health During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Finally, the loss of otherwise fulfilling activities and social contacts is also a threat to mental health. This is especially true for the older population, who might have lower familiarity with digital means of communication (Cavapozzi and Dal Bianco, 2021). When the pandemic hit in the spring of 2020, many private companies and public administrations had to resort to working-from-home arrangements for their employees.…”

Online health information seeking behavior, healthcare access, and health status during exceptional times

“…Poor, 6. I never used a computer”) ( Cavapozzi and Dal Bianco, 2022 ). General health literacy was measured by using the single-item literacy screener (SILS), which was designed to identify adults in need of help with written or printed health material.…”

Effects of digital skills and other individual factors on retirement decision-making and their gender differences

“…Moreover, Lissitsa et al ( 2017 ) illustrate that digital skills in a later career signal competence to potential employers and relate to higher income and employment benefits. Hence, this text assumes that lower digital skills limit opportunities in the labour market, while the opposite causation with decreasing digital skills after entering retirement was already identified (Cavapozzi and Dal Bianco 2022 ). Digital skills can play a role in both labour supply (people with higher digital skills are more employable) and labour demand (certain employers favour workers with higher digital skills).…”