| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立嘉義大學 === 數位學習設計與管理學系研究所 === 100 === Current studies identify that middle-aged people cannot enjoy computer technology because of degenerate physical conditions and insufficient knowledge and abilities. These studies also suggest that investing resources to increase computer access and literacy for middle-aged people could overcome the digital divide. In 2011, however, the Government survey still reports the existence of digital divide in generation, indicating the limited effectiveness for the effort on bridging digital wall for middle-aged people. In the meanwhile, I observed that, despite they did not used to use computer and Internet in the past, some middle-aged people now not only frequently use Facebook, but also broadern their technological journey to various computer applications and website browsing. Therefore, the study intends to explore how the the middle-aged people change the computer use behavior through Facebook use.
This study applied the uses and gratifications theory to investigate the gratifications sought from Facebook use by middle-aged people, and to explore the process of the information disadvantaged people crossing the digital wall. This study conducted in-depth interviews with four middle-aged people to explore how they crossed the digital wall. The investigation included the issues of the gratifications sought from use computer and computer behaviors in the past, the gratifications sought and behavior emerged from Facebook use, and the gratifications sought and behaviors extended for using other computer applications.
The findings in this study presented three periods to describe how middle-aged people crossed the digital wall by showing the changes in gratifications sought and computer use behaviors. In the first period, the subjects had no aware of the gratifications sought from computer and Internet use, and presented passive and resistant computer use behaviors. In the second period, as some gratifications emerged and got satisfied from using Facebook, the subjects presented more involvement and intensive use behaviors. And in the third period, extended the gratifications sought from Facebook use, the subjects got much clearer of the gratifications that could be sought from computer use. These gratifications sought became the motives that encouraged their exploitation and exploration of using the computer and Internet applications. At the end, this study provided practical suggestions to reduce the digital divide for the information disadvantaged people, and helped them to enjoy the gratifications sought from the use of the digital technology.
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