Digital Ageism and Ageism Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults and the Mediating Role of Expectations Regarding Aging: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: This study examined whether expectations regarding aging mediate the relationship between ageism and digital ageism among middle-aged and older adults and whether this indirect effect differs by age group.Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed to analyze the data of 300 South Korean adults aged 45 years or older, recruited via an online research panel through sampling stratified by age and gender. Ageism, expectations regarding aging, and digital ageism were assessed using validated self-report scales. Mediation and moderated mediation were tested using Hayes’ PROCESS Models 4 and 14 with bias-corrected bootstrapping.Results: Digital ageism was positively correlated with ageism (r=.41, p<.001) and negatively correlated with expectations regarding aging (r=-.37, p<.001). Expectations regarding aging partially mediated the relationship between ageism and digital ageism (B=0.22; 95% boot CI=0.11-0.35). Middle-aged adults showed higher digital ageism than older adults (t=2.90, p=.004); however, the mediating pathway did not differ by age group.Conclusions: The findings suggest that expectations regarding aging may play a mediating role in the association between ageism and digital ageism. Interventions to reduce digital ageism should target both ageist beliefs and negative expectations regarding aging and should be implemented starting in midlife rather than focusing exclusively on older adulthood.