The roles of perceived privacy control, Internet privacy concerns and Internet skills in the direct and indirect Internet uses of older adults: Conceptual integration and empirical testing of a theoretical model

Abstract

Internet privacy has been proposed as a new dimension of the digital divide. Although Internet privacy relates to all segments of the population, older Internet users are particularly vulnerable because they generally have lower Internet skills. Coupled with their high level of privacy concerns, this can dissuade them from fully engaging in a variety of Internet uses. As older adults overcome their limited Internet skills by asking others to perform online activities on their behalf, a practice known as use-by-proxy, it is likely that this is also a strategy for dealing with Internet privacy concerns. Therefore, we examine how Internet skills, along with Internet privacy concerns and perceived privacy control, influence their Internet uses and use-by-proxy. To this end, we develop an integrative conceptual model and test it with structural equation modelling using data collected in November 2021 from a nationwide sample of 460 Internet users aged 65+ in Slovenia.

Negotiating Technological Engagement: Use and Non‐Use Among Older Adults in Assisted Living

“…However, because Helen was ultimately not interested in holding and operating the device herself, the use needed to be mediated. This type of mediated use is similar to the use-by-proxy concept that is discussed by Bartol et al (2022) and a form of proxy use that Hänninen at al. (2021) call digital piggybacking, whereby use is conducted in proximity to, but separate from, an older adult.…”

“…Hänninen et al (2021) found that older adults often benefit from having access to warm experts who can be "involved in the digital everyday life of older adults, ranging from small acts of motivation and giving practical advice to actual co-use and proxy use of ICTs" (p. 1596). Likewise, recent research from Bartol et al (2022) has shown that older adults frequently engage in a practice of use-by-proxy, whereby others assist with or perform technological tasks for them. Alternatively, additional research has revealed that some older adults, specifically those in nursing homes or senior community centers, express interest in and benefit from more institutional (rather than social) sources of technological support (Tirado-Morueta et al, 2021).…”

Testing the Role of Categorical and Resource Inequalities in Indirect Internet Uses of Older Adults: A Path Analysis

“…There is a vast amount of literature on digital engagement of older adults related to different forms and determinants of internet access, skills, uses, and tangible outcomes (Hargittai et al, 2019;Nguyen et al, 2022). However, existing research has largely focused only on direct forms of digital engagement, assuming that older adults are either self-reliant internet users or non-users (Bartol et al, 2022;Dolničar et al, 2018). In contrast, only a few studies investigated the personal and social determinants of indirect internet uses such as use-by-proxy (UBP)-a practice where (usually low-skilled) users or non-users ask others (i.e., proxy users) to perform activities online on their behalf (Petrovčič et al, 2022).…”