PSYC3170 Older Adults, Successful Ageing and Technology Assignment Sample

• Subject Code : PSYC3170
• Subject Name : Psychology

Clinical Psychology

Table of contents

Introduction.

Factors related to use of Internet among older adults.

Trends of Smartphone technology among older adults.

Factors associated with successful ageing.

Importance of healthy ageing.

Conclusion.

Reference list

Introduction to Older Adults, Successful Ageing and Technology

Technology has brought about drastic changes into the modern day world and Smartphone along with the Internet can be considered as one of the important fruits of the same. Recent research has clearly shown that apart from young people, near about 70% of the older adults have indulged into the world of technology, Internet and Smartphone (Dahlke, Lindeman, & Ory, 2019).

In this essay, the researcher is going to examine deeply about the older individuals, the factors leading to successful ageing along with their involvement in the Internet world.

Factors Related to Use of Internet Among Older Adults

Different authors have mentioned older adult’s technology adoption. However, researches have shown that the acceptance of technology among older people varied from rural to urban areas. In fact, it has been said that often living in urban or rural areas and other demographic factors often differentiated the adoption of technology among the older individuals. In an article, a survey has been carried out which proved that lower age and higher education are the two main factors that has allowed older adults of rural areas to use the Internet (Brenner et al. 2015, p.245). On the other hand, it has also been identified that older adults of the urban areas made proper use of the internet only if they had normal cognitive functions, more highly educated, lower in age or living with someone else.

Trends of Smartphone Technology Among Older Adults

A number of resources and scholarly authors have clarified that not only the younger generation but also older individuals nowadays have great access to Smartphone and Internet usage. Whatsapp is one of the most successful chat applications of the modern times that are not only used by the younger generation but the older adults as well. According to the survey carried out by Fernandez-Ardevol & Rosales, older individuals tend to have shown the highest growth rate in terms of ICT adoption in mobile (Fernandez-Ardevol& Rosales, 2016, p. 27). Apart from this, it has also come into notice that older adults have been recognized as active users of social networking sites especially that of Whatsapp.

Factors Associated with Successful Ageing

To date, a number of factors have been identified related to successful ageing; however, different authors have focused on varied factors. In one of the books, the author has discussed developmental neuroscience along with that of the differences in personality and psychology as major factors of successful ageing (Levitin, 2020, p.10). The author has divided the book into the three different categories including The Continually Developing Brain, The New Longevity and The Choices We Make. In addition to this, it is to be mentioned here that brain cell atrophy, compromised cellular repair functions, DNA sequence damage and hormonal and neuroscience changes often acts as a negative factor in ageing. However, in his scholarly study, Levitin also claimed that although these acts as negative factors yet the chemical changes in the ageing brain allows elderly adults to grow the ability to understand, tolerate, forgive and accept (Levitin, 2020, p.20). This has clearly resulted in accepting modern technologies especially Smartphone among the older people ageing over 65 years.

Importance of Healthy Ageing

As defined by the WHO, Healthy Ageing is nothing but the procedures of engaging functional ability that helps in the well-being among older adults (World Health Organization, 2020).

Role of functional ability

Healthy ageing is utterly important among older individuals that provides functional ability to create environments for doing whatever they feel like and values the most. Functional ability highly considers people’s ability to develop relations, focus on their basic requirements, learn and grow and others. More specifically, it can be said that functional ability comprises the intrinsic capacity of an elderly adult. In contemporary times, the requirements of functional ability have been served by that of the Internet among older individuals.

Major considerations

While focusing on healthy ageing, two major considerations need to be highlighted that is diversity and inequity (World Health Organization, 2020). In case of diversity, WHO has suggested that policy needs to be framed in such a way that it can bring about improvements in the functional ability of older people. On the other hand, the notion of inequity needs to be removed and better relationships need to be developed with the environment.

Link between healthy and active ageing

Recently, it has been put forward by the WHO that their Healthy Ageing has replaced Active ageing: a policy framework developed in 2002. Healthy Ageing puts emphasis on the actions required across multiple sectors and helps older people to act as a resource to their economies, families as well as communities (World Health Organization, 2020).

Conclusion on Older Adults, Successful Ageing and Technology

Limitations of Existing Research

One of the important limitations is the lack of books and articles on successful ageing. Dearth of information based on successful ageing acts as a limitation to this research.

Directions for Future Research

More information on factors based on successful ageing needs to be collected to complete the future research and make its fruitful one. Emphasis needs to be given on healthy ageing and active ageing as well.

Reference List for Older Adults, Successful Ageing and Technology

Brenner, J., Rennemark, M., Jogreus, C., Anderberg, P., Skoldunger, A., Whalberg, M., Elmstahl, S. & Berglund, J. (2015). Factors Influencing Internet Usage in Older Adults (65 years and above) Living in Rural and Urban areas of Sweden. Health Informatics Journal, 21 (3), 237-247.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24567416/

Dahlke, D. V., Lindeman, D. & Ory, M.G. (2019). No longer just for the young: 70% of seniors are now online. [Online]. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/07/no-longer-just-for-the-young-70-of-seniors-are-now-online/

Fernandez-Ardevol. M. & Rosales, B. (2016). Beyond whatsapp: Older People and Smartphones.Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations, 18 (137), 27-47.https://doi.org/10.21018/rjcpr.2016.1.200

Levitin, D.J. (2020). Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist explores the power and potential of our lives. Penguin Random House

World Health Organization (2020).What is healthy ageing? https://www.who.int/ageing/healthy-ageing/en/

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