Active Ageing and Digital Culture of Older Adults: A Cultural Analysis of the Chinese Experience

The subject of the study is the cultural analysis of the digital participation of older adults in China and the identification of its role in the processes of active ageing. Digitalization affects all spheres of life, including culture, education, and everyday practices, opening new opportunities for the preservation of memory and the expansion of social participation. For older people, digital culture becomes not only a means of communication but also a resource of cultural identity, an instrument for overcoming social isolation, and a channel of intergenerational transmission. The study examines such key categories as symbolic capital, cultural memory, and everyday practices, which make it possible to interpret the experience of older users in the media environment as a specific form of cultural participation. The analysis also draws on the concepts of cultural citizenship and structuration theory, highlighting the active inclusion of the older generation in the public sphere. Thus, digital culture appears as an independent sociocultural phenomenon, shaping a new model of getting old. The methodology is based on cultural analysis and an interdisciplinary approach, combining cultural studies, sociology, and gerontology. The empirical basis consists of qualitative research through semi-structured interviews with respondents aged 60–69 who had experience using digital cultural services (online lectures, virtual exhibitions, educational courses). The results of the study show that the perception of the digital environment by older adults is determined not only by the functional parameters of services (simplicity, usefulness, attractiveness) but also by cultural dimensions (identity, memory, intergenerational practices). Trust and the level of digital competence act as mediators between external stimuli and readiness for cultural participation, while mastering digital skills reduces feelings of social isolation and strengthens intergenerational ties. Educational initiatives linking digital literacy with local heritage (for example, courses in libraries and universities of the third age) form sustainable practices of “digital heritage.” The scientific novelty of the study lies in the cultural interpretation of digital participation of older adults as a symbolic resource that ensures the transmission of memory and the affirmation of cultural citizenship. The conclusions emphasize that digital culture is becoming an independent space of active ageing, while the practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using its results for the development of cultural policy and digital humanities projects aimed at expanding the rights and opportunities of the older generation.