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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Lisa Sparks Bethea, PhD, Health Communications and Informatics Research Branch, National Cancer Institute, 6130 Executive Blvd., 4th floor, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301.451.9477, betheal@mail.nih.gov
Despite nearly 4 million older adults who are currently using the Internet, and a projected increase in Internet use among this segment of the population over the next decade, few communication researchers have discussed the impact of older adult barriers to accessing the Internet in general and keeping up with email technologies in specific. In particular, there has been little empirically driven research toward: a) understanding such barriers for older adults; and b) ways to move beyond such barriers in the form of intergenerational training programs and the like. This presentation seeks to uncover such processes by discussing some of the possible benefits and limitations of Internet access and usability for older adults as well as possible health implications for older people using the Internet for support and companionship within interpersonal relationships via email and the like. Toward that end, it examines current research in the areas of interpersonal relationships, social support and health outcomes for older people, and unique features of computer-mediated relationships as social support networks. In addition, it attempts to link theory from these diverse areas of research and to explain their implications for older adults who are currently using this technology and for those who will likely be using it in the near future.
Learning Objectives: By the end of the session, participants will be able to
Keywords: Aging, Internet
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.