65 YAŞ ÜSTÜ BİREYLERİN DİJİTAL BECERİLERİNİN ÇEŞİTLİ DEĞİŞKENLER AÇISINDAN İNCELENMESİ
INVESTIGATION OF 65+ INDIVIDUALS' DIGITAL SKILLS IN TERMS OF VARIOUS VARIABLES

Summary/Abstract: Aging is a period in which individuals experience changes in their physical, cognitive, and social abilities, and these changes affect their interactions with digital technologies. The digital competencies of individuals aged 65 and over are important in terms of their understanding of the role of technology in daily life and their effective use. This study aimed to determine the digital competencies of 142 individuals enrolled in Sinop 3rd Age University. In the mixed-method study, quantitative data were collected with the “Digital Competency Inventory” and qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Descriptive analysis, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis H tests were used to analyze the data. In the study, it was found that problem-solving competency scores differed according to educational status; information literacy, communication, security, and problem-solving scores showed a significant relationship with social media use; and information literacy scores showed a significant relationship with negative experiences on the internet. In addition, a significant difference was found between digital competence scores and individuals' beliefs that daily tasks will be carried out over the internet in the future. Qualitative findings show that individuals use digital devices for purposes such as social media, communication, banking, shopping, reading news, and searching for information. Technical problems and security concerns are the main challenges in the usage process. The motivation sources of individuals over 65 years of age for using digital technologies are curiosity and convenience. Individuals have high expectations of using digital devices independently and adapting to new technologies in the future. Accordingly, digital literacy training should be designed by the characteristics of older individuals, and technologies for older adults should focus on accessibility and simplicity.

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