ICT Usage Among Senior Citizens: Towards a Practice Theory of Digital Inclusion and Exclusion

While the ubiquitous presence of information and communication technology (ICT) in everyday life has brought about convenience and enrichment to many, it has also inadvertently led to the digital exclusion of marginalized individuals with limited proficiency in ICT. One conspicuous group of such marginalized individuals is senior citizens, given their generally lower levels of ICT access, savviness, and bodily constraints limiting their ability to use ICT effectively. As societies experience rapid population aging, the need for digital inclusion among senior citizens will be even more pronounced as the world becomes ever more digitalized. This study examines the use of ICT among senior citizens by leveraging the concepts of disposition and capitals in Bourdieu's practice theory. Employing a mixed methods approach that integrates both qualitative and quantitative analyses, it shows how social, economic, bodily, and cultural capitals shaped disposition and ICT use among senior citizens. In terms of theoretical contribution, it advances a practice theory of digital inclusion and exclusion for the study of ICT in marginalized contexts. In terms of practical implication, it underscores the need for a range of approaches by strategizing across the different capitals and disposition in promoting digital inclusion among senior citizens.