Technology Acceptance in Later Life: A Review of Two Decades (2000 to 2020) in South Korea

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the research trends in the field of technology acceptance of older adults and present a review. To this end, this review followed PRISMA guidelines and analyzed 119 dissertations and journal articles published in South Korea from 2000 to 2020. First, as a result of summarizing quantitative trends in the publications, the number of published articles concerning technology acceptance of older adults was very small before 2012, but gradually increased since 2012. Specific research topics were classified into ① the use of information technology and digital devices, ② digital literacy and information gaps, ③ physical and psychological health, ④ support services and facilities for older adults, and ⑤ others. Second, as a result of conducting content analysis, most of the studies dealt with mobile phones or smartphones when it comes to the type of technology. In the case of the studies based on technology acceptance models, most of them adopted Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Higher level of education and self-efficacy were one of the motivators to promote technology acceptance among older adults, while old age and higher level of technology anxiety were identified as barriers. Based on these results, the present study synthesized the discussions and proposed suggestions for future research. Additionally, after reviewing the existing literature, we proposed the Technology-Based Active Aging Enhancing Model (T-BAEM)