ICT volunteering as a protective factor for older adults: investigating motives of internet use, internet self-efficacy and perceived obsolescence

Abstract

To successfully use information and communication technologies (ICT) for aging processes, older adults need to have a variety of skills. This study examined whether volunteering is a critical resource for older adults in dealing with the motives for internet use, higher internet self-efficacy, and lower obsolescence. For this purpose, a distinction was made between older adults who perform voluntary work in the ICT field, voluntary work outside the ICT field, and older non-volunteers. In the study, 331 older adults (mean, 70 years; range, 60–90 years; 39% female) participated in an online questionnaire and were subsequently divided into three groups (ICT volunteers, non-ICT volunteers, and non-volunteers) based on the replies. As expected, ICT volunteers were characterized by more motives for using the internet, higher internet self-efficacy, and lower perceived obsolescence, and significant variance in the components of these constructs were explained by volunteer status. Interactions indicated a buffer effect, according to which ICT volunteering compensates for higher age and educational disadvantages in the context of internet self-efficacy. References to social support, age and cohort effects, and training programs are discussed.