Intergenerational Support Gap in the Digital Integration of Older Adults
Social support provided by adult children is an important impetus for promoting digital inclusion of older adults.Through the theoretical perspectives of social support and family communication patterns,we conducted a survey of 304 smartphone users aged 50 and above to examine the phenomenon of social support gaps that may exist in older adults'interactions with their offspring and its impact on older adults'subjective well-being.The study found that older adults'desired support from their children positively influenced the support they sought,then influenced the support they received.In addition,the study provides preliminary evidence that two forms of social support gaps-support deficit and support surplus-coexist in intergenerational interactions.In particular,the subjective well-being of older adults is negatively affected when the support they actually received from their children is less than the support they sought.The findings also suggest that both communicative and authoritative family communication patterns positively influence older adults'desired,sought,and received social support from their children.Through an analysis of the social support process,this study reveals the imbalance between the supply and demand of social support in the digital integration of Chinese older adults,as well as provides guidance for further promoting the subjective well-being of older adults.
Social Support GapsElderly PeopleFamily Communication PatternsSubjective Well-beingDigital Inclusion
万方数据
维普
