Experiences and Factors Affecting Using WeChat among Urban Empty-Nesters: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Abstract

Background In an era where population aging and social information are intertwined, the elderly need to learn to use electronic products, but due to aging and other reasons, the process of learning to use it is not easier than that of young people. The elderly, especially the empty-nesters whose children are not around, need to adapt to using electronic products in their daily lives. Objective To explore the experiences of using WeChat for the urban empty-nesters. Methods A qualitative descriptive design was used in this study. A total of 14 registered empty-nesters who had used WeChat in Fuzhou communities were recruited via convenience and purposive sampling methods. Data were collected through individual, semi-structured, and face-to-face interviews and were analyzed according to the content analysis approach. Results Data analysis led to the identification of four categories and ten sub-categories including the following: (1) uncertainty about WeChat dependence (dependence or no dependence on WeChat), (2) positive experience (providing life convenience, improving spiritual life, and consciously advancing with the times), (3) negative experience (disgusting false information, disgusting negative reports), and (4) influencing using WeChat factors (Physiology, education, social support). The identification of these experiences and factors could help community workers to develop strategies to enhance older adults, especially empty-nesters’ utilization rate of electronic products such as WeChat and eventually adapt to the information society. Conclusions Informatization is unstoppable. Nowadays, the elderly must use electronic products, but the situations of the elderly using electronic products such as WeChat are different, and influencing factors are also different. Taking positive experiences of using WeChat as a reference promotes the elderly to participate in the information age. And taking negative experiences as a reference provides an early warning for other people using WeChat.