Internet use among older people in the context of Senior Technology Acceptance Model (STAM)

There are few studies on practices and barriers of Internet use among older people in developing countries. This research identifies the main strategies of Internet use among older people and the determinants and barriers that influence these strategies in a developing country (using Russia as a case study). The empirical basis for the research is semi-structured interviews with people aged 60 and over living in Russian cities (n=40) and questionnaire survey (N=210). The questionnaire serves to triangulate data and demonstrates that the pandemic has increased the number of Internet and digital service users, with 44% of respondents noting the growing usefulness and convenience of electronic services. Using the elements of the Senior Technology Acceptance Model (STAM), we identify the determinants that influence how and why an older person starts to use the Internet, as well as define the barriers to bridging the digital divide. Based on the results of the research, we have identified four strategies of Internet use: consumption of information and entertainment; communication; use of Internet resources; refusal. In practice, users tend to combine the first three strategies. The stages from objectification (intention to use) to conversion (making the final decision to use in the future) depend on the type of Internet resource: in the case of communication and information consumption, the acceptance comes quickly, in contrast to more specialized Internet services and applications. The key determinants influencing the choice of a strategy are age, professional activities and their nature, social environment and family, and ownership of a smartphone (as a simpler and faster device compared to a personal computer).