Generational Perspective of Digital Literacy Among Ghanaians in the 21st Century

Abstract

This paper investigates the nexus between generations and digital literacy. For the study, simple random sampling was undertaken in selecting 361 respondents, while ten participants were selected through purposive sampling. The authors made use of mixed methods, including the intervju survey method. The data were subjected to bivariate, correlation and thematic analysis. Concerning theresults, younger people turn out to be comparatively more digitally active and more digitally skilled than older people, which is indicative of the fact that there is a generational gap between the two distinct generations in terms of being in a technologically savvy position. This was influenced significantly by the era in which they were born, as each generation comes with its own technological innovations, the phenomena of socialization and social interaction with self-organization as the focus. It is concluded that digital literacy, expositions and exploits are significant in relation to how they shape generational interactions, including the adaptation to digital device utilization in later life.

Pearls in the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of older adults’ lived experiences in Ghana

“…Technology complements day-to-day activities, leisure (e.g. videogames, streaming music and TV) (Dovie et al, 2019;Genoe et al, 2018), holidays (e.g. online booking of hotels, travel) and maintaining social connections via social media platforms (e.g.…”

“…Facebook) as well as other communication platforms (e.g. What's App, Viber), (Dovie et al, 2019;Marston et al 2020).…”

“…Beyond the dependence on family relations, social networks, technology can be used as a weapon in fighting against social isolation on condition that the elderly know how to use it or that they are technologically savvy (Dovie et al, 2019). Men and women are affected differently-older women are more likely to say they feel lonelier than older men (Dovie, 2019).…”

Articulation of the shallow inclusion and deep exclusion of older adults from the Ghanaian policy terrain

“…Life-long education and training mentioned here may have implications for generational digital literacy. Thus, Dovie et al (2020) underscore the significance of generational digital literacy, which is facilitated by digital literacy, yet older people are largely deficient in. Such digital literacy deficiency among older adults may be resolved through the phenomenon of intergenerational socialization, particularly that induced by younger persons.…”

I Want My Grandchildren to Communicate in the Local Language: Interrogating the Intergenerational Communication Landscape in Ghana

“…The functions of a family are derived from its definition. Families are expected to provide economic support, inherited social status, education, protection and care of the sick, religious training, leisure time and entertainment, emotional support [4] and socialisation [5][6][7]. Nukunya [7] notes that the family is a social arrangement in which individuals have extensive reciprocal duties, obligations and responsibilities to relations.…”