Mobile Phone In The Rural Elderly Life World

In our society, the development of science and technology changes every passing day. Internet has become an obvious symbol of the information age. The development of communication technology makes cell phone become necessities in daily life. The combination between internet and cellphone make the relationship in person and person, group and group more convenience. However, the digital divide still exists between groups. In the social background of aging population in rural areas and rural "hollowing out" trend exacerbated, focusing on the rural elderly how to use mobile phones has a certain significance for active aging population.This study use quantitative and qualitative research methods, questionnaire survey,participatory observation and unstructured interviews to collect data. By participating in rural elderly life, this study combs the basic condition of the rural elderly using mobile phone, including the mobile type, using time and which features be used. These aspects help us to understand the situation of rural elderly using mobile phone. Basing on Merton’s "positive features "and "negative feature", "display function"and "latent function",combined with basic situation of rural elderly using mobile,this study analyzes positive features and negative features, display function and latent function that mobile phone effected. Through analysis, we found mobile phone has one side to meet the spiritual needs of the rural elderly, in other side make the rural elderly lost in dependence; one side to show the significance of cultural feedback in generation, in other side to highlight the generation gap; one side to promote the social integration of the rural elderly, in other side to make the rural elderly group words loss. Due to the presence of negative features, this study puts forward some ideas in how to build a healthy relationship between mobile phone the rural elderly.