Helping others use social media: age stereotypes when estimating learner’s success

Abstract

Social networking sites (SNS) include online products such as Facebook that allow users to build and maintain large interpersonal Internet networks. Older adult users have dramatically increased (Duggan & Smith, 2014). This investigation examined how 212 university undergraduate Facebook users estimated success with helping others use Facebook when learner's age (20, 40, 60 year olds.) and type of acquaintance (friend or kin) was manipulated in hypothetical scenarios. In these scenarios, a person is identified as KW, described as being a college student much like the participant. KW has 20, 40 or 60 year-old acquaintances, a friend or a kin at each age, all wanting KW's help learning about social media. This was the only information provided. Qualities and strengths of these interpersonal relationships were not examined. Results from repeated measures 2x3 ANOVA showed a significant main effect for age, but no effect for acquaintance type. Results showed no significant interaction. Although the age demographic above 50 years is the fastest growing SNS group, results showed possible age stereotyping among youth when they assist older adults learning to use SNS. This age effect may be lessened as older adults become more skillful social media users. These findings are limited because of the sample demographics and a lack of identifying qualities of participants' attributions about the hypothetical friends or relatives. Future research using multiple items per condition might be able to further elucidate how the type of associations between helper and learner, close or distant, positive or negative, would influence outcomes. Keywords: Older adults; ageism; Internet; Facebook. Ayudando a otros a usar los medios sociales: estereotipos de edad al estimar el éxito del alumno RESUMEN:Sitios de redes sociales (SNS) como Facebook permiten a usuarios crear y mantener redes de Internet interpersonales. El número de usuarios adultos mayores de edad sigue incrementado (Duggan y Smith, 2014). Esta investigación examinó como 212 estudiantes universitarios usuarios de Facebook calcularon su éxito en ayudar a otros a usar Facebook cuando la edad de la persona a quien ayudaron (20, 40, 60 años) y su conocimiento de la persona a quien ayudaron (amigo o pariente) fue manipulado en escenarios hipotéticos. En estos escenarios, una persona hipotética identificada como KWfue definida como un estudiante universitario al igual que el participante. En cada escenario se supuso que KW tuviera un amigo o pariente de 20, 40 o 60 años de edad quien le pidiera que le enseñara los medios de comunicación social. Esta fue la única información proporcionada. No fueron Helping others use social media © Psy, Soc, & Educ, 2016, Vol. 8(1) 12 examinadas las cualidades de estas relaciones interpersonales. Los resultados de un 2X3 ANOVA de mediciones repetidas mostraron un efecto significativo para la edad, pero no para conocimiento. Los resultados no mostraron interacción significativa. Aunque los mayores de edad en encima de 50 años es el grupo ...

Information Technology, Inequality and Adult Literacy in Developing Countries

“…The significant control variables have the expected signs. Concerning the nexus of these findings with the extant literature, by confirming both tested hypotheses, the study confirms two strands of studies discussed in the introduction and Section 2 within the same empirical framework, notably: a positive association between information technology and adult literacy (Lindsay et al, 2007;Harley & Fitzpatrick, 2009;Nahm et al, 2009;Ryu et al, 2009;Hayes et al, 2015;Ginsburg et al, 2016;Steinert et al, 2016 ;Gatti et al, 2017;Tsai et al, 2017;Lee et al, 2017 ;Myhre et al, 2017 ;Østensen et al, 2017;Jin et al, 2019) and the negative role of inequality in reducing adult learning and education (Van Damme, 2014;Duncan & Murnane, 2011;Kilpi-Jakonen et al, 2015;Green et al, 2015;Lee & Desjardins, 2019). It follows that this study reconciles two strands of the literature within the same empirical framework.…”

“…First, in relation to the practical relevance of mobile technologies, Jin et al (2019) have documented that information technologies provide practical advantages such as cognitive memory, language learning and financial resources (Ryu, Kim & Lee, 2009;Ginsburg, Cameron, Mendez, & Westhoff, 2016;Gatti, Brivio, & Galimberti, 2017;Tsai, Shillair,&Cotten,2017;Myhre, Mehl & Glisky, 2017). Second, adult also use information technology to benefit from collaborative learning (Hayes, van Stolk-Cooke & Muench, 2015;Harley & Fitzpatrick, 2009).…”

Informal Learning of Older Adults in Using Mobile Devices: A Review of the Literature

“…These models were used to examine older adults’ technology acceptance in the quantitative studies. Particularly, five quantitative studies employed the technology acceptance model to shape their overall research (Barnard et al, 2013; Ginsburg et al, 2016; Ma et al, 2016; Ryu et al, 2009; Tsai et al, 2017). Based on the elements of technology acceptance—perceived ease of use and usefulness, facilitating conditions, self-satisfaction and cost tolerance—older adults decided to adopt and further use mobile devices for their informal learning.…”

“…More than half of the studies considered in this review focused on the older adults’ feelings or attitudes toward mobile devices or their purpose of informal learning using mobile devices in sporadic use or until entry level of usage. For example, older adults’ intention to use smartphone applications, SNS, or video user-generated content and some barriers that should be dealt with for frequent use were discussed (Ginsburg et al, 2016; Kisekka et al, 2013; Nguyen et al, 2015). However, there seems to be more room for future qualitative research to examine specific stories or cases of older adults’ use of technology on a regular basis.…”