Abstract
The shift to online communication and ecommerce in the digital landscape aggravates challenges faced by older adults who are not technologically savvy. These challenges entail predicaments among vulnerable groups in society, especially older adults in rural areas. Adopting an easily accessible technology such as smartphones is necessary for their survival in the digital world, but not sufficient without effective use of it. Smartphones provide ubiquitous access to education and information for the marginalized older adults to learn and address their needs by using smartphones cost-effectively. Through in-depth interviews with 13 Bottom 40% (B40) Malaysian older women in rural areas, this paper reveals that these rural older women were facing different challenges when using smartphones. There were four aspects of physical, cognitive, psychological, and usability challenges. To address these challenges, this paper proposes that family support, in-person guidance, and a user-friendly application interface are essential needs for rural older women to learn how to use smartphones. A conceptual framework was proposed to assist older women in rural areas to overcome challenges and address their needs in learning through smartphones.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management |
Subtitle of host publication | IEEM 2022 |
Editors | Roger Jiao, Min Xie |
Place of Publication | Piscataway NJ USA |
Publisher | IEEE, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers |
Pages | 1201-1205 |
Number of pages | 5 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781665486873 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2022 |
Event | IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (IEEM) 2022 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Duration: 7 Dec 2022 → 10 Dec 2022 https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/conhome/9989527/proceeding (Proceedings) |
Publication series
Name | IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management |
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Publisher | IEEE, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers |
ISSN (Print) | 2157-3611 |
ISSN (Electronic) | 2157-362X |
Conference
Conference | IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (IEEM) 2022 |
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Abbreviated title | IEEM 2022 |
Country/Territory | Malaysia |
City | Kuala Lumpur |
Period | 7/12/22 → 10/12/22 |
Internet address |
Keywords
- Malaysia
- Older women
- Rural areas
- Smartphones