Unit 3 - Section A: INEQUALITIES - Age Identity

Question 1

What is a digital generational divide?

Answer 1

Each successive generation sees a greater use of and reliance on digital - older generation less likely to use new technology, younger generation reliant.

Question 2

Palmer

Answer 2

Toxic Parenting - rely on technology to occupy children and feel isolated and can’t rely on others face to face.

Question 3

Postman

Answer 3

Children exposed to adult content - children + youths exposed to adult content e.g. sex and violence.

Question 4

The Ofcom Report

Answer 4

Table use between 65-74 year olds has trebled from 5% in 2012, to 17% in 2014. Six in ten (62%) adults use smartphones, an increase from 54% in 2012. Over 8 in ten (83%) of adults are online.

Question 5

Garside

Answer 5

Young children are developing fundamentally different communication habits from older generations. Young people operate smartphones, whereas older generations had to use dial up. Younger people are digital natives - grown up with the internet, second nature to use it. This affects real life communication skills as they only use social media - spoken communication differences which highlights a generation gap. Older people don’t have the skills or access to be technological so are excluded.

Question 6

Boyle

Answer 6

Each successive generation sees a greater use of and reliance on digital communication. He argues that this has led to a digital generation divide between the old, who are less likely to use new technologies, and the young, who are proficient and reliant on it in their day to day lives. Boyle suggests this is not just with regards to digital communication, but social media as a whole. Young people are more equipped to develop skills demanded by new technologies. Young people want to create their adult identities and digital technologies can assist. Peer group is an important forum for adolescents and technologies to help with alternative ways of keeping us communication and developing social networks. Parents are more likely to spend money on their children and teenagers in contemporary society.

Question 7

Berry

Answer 7

Aage differences media usage between young and old: Music - spotify + apple music, radio. Films - Netflix, DVD. Use of devices - iphone, portal + tablets. TV. Social Media - Instagram + Tiktok, Facebook. Researched older users of the internet and found that when explaining their reasons for not accessing the internet most of the participants explained that this was due to their lack of skills and/or lack of interest. Many faced psychological barriers - more significant than material or physical explanations. Some websites have been specifically designed for older users (positive use): ‘Silversurfers’, ‘Thirdage’, ‘Seniormatch’. 79% of households below state pension age have internet access, compared to only 37% of those above state pension age. Digital generation divides where some have full access and others are excluded.

Question 8

ONS

Answer 8

of all older (over 65s) who use the internet, only 59% do so everyday.