Well-being through digital technologies: a study in populations 50+

• Main Author: Henrique Teixeira Gil
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Asociación Nacional de Psicología Evolutiva y Educativa de la Infancia Adolescencia Mayores y Discapacidad 2018-12-01
• Series: INFAD
• Subjects: bem-estar mental; bem-estar social; envelhecimento saudável; tecnologias digitais
• Online Access: http://www.infad.eu/RevistaINFAD/OJS/index.php/IJODAEP/article/view/1144

The concept of ‘healthy aging’ refers to the process of developing and maintaining functional capacity, which contributes to the well-being of the elderly, to a functional level (mental well-being) and to the person’s interaction with the environment (social well-being). Access to information through lifelong learning is a vital element for aging, which can influence well-being. In this context, this research aims to identify the sociocultural factors that influence the option of learning Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in 50+ populations, and to know the impacts of this learning in well-being throughout the learning process aging. Methods: A qualitative/quantitative mixed study involving a sample of 374 participants who answered a questionnaire and 5 directors from the Senior Universities of the district of Castelo Branco, Portugal, who were interviewed through a semi-structured interview. Results: The factors that explain the choice of ICT learning include the need to update knowledge, be intellectually active and make better use of the computer. The impacts of this learning on mental well-being lie essentially in stimulating memory and in intellectual aptitudes, reasoning, and thinking. In social well-being they focus on communication, participation in the digital society and on the relationship between digital and social inclusion.