%0 Journal Article
%T Psychological Barriers to Digital Living in Older Adults: Computer Anxiety as Predictive Mechanism for Technophobia
%J Behavioral Sciences | An Open Access Journal from MDPI
%D 2019
%R https://doi.org/10.3390/bs9090096
%X This study aimed to investigate the emotional impact of technology use in an Italian adult population and to detect technophobia. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 117 Italian participants (age range of 50¨C67 years). Measured variables were computer anxiety and technology use ability. The results revealed technophobia features in the Italian adult population related to inadequate management of technology. One-way analysis of variance and BonferroniĄ¯s post-hoc analysis showed that non-autonomous ( p < 0.01), low-frequency ( p < 0.01), and feeling-a-need-for-help users ( p < 0.01) had higher levels of computer anxiety. Based on our data, although lifelong learning is a powerful digital need, a considerable proportion of the adult population is not digitally skilled, enlarging the gap between young (native digital) and adult (digital and non-digital adults and seniors) populations. Adult inclusivity in digital living is inadequate and likely affects their quality of life. Thus, our findings highlight technophobia as a possible new risk factor for Italian adults because it can affect their daily life through low adherence to digital living; rather than aging successfully, they could develop fragile aging. View Full-Tex
%U https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/9/9/96