Research On The Use Of Smartphones In Rural Elderly Groups And Its Impact

Mobile devices represented by smartphones are becoming the main tool for people to access and use the Internet.As of December 2018,the proportion of Internet users using mobile phones in China increased from 97.5% at the end of 2017 to 98.6% at the end of 2018.Smartphones have clear advantages in expanding the horizons and reach of people,facilitating life and providing entertainment and comfort in spiritual culture.The elderly groups living in rural areas have low levels of use of smart phones and the Internet due to weak Internet awareness and limited economic conditions.They have not enjoyed the dividends brought about by the development of new media technologies and have gradually become “Internet refugees” in the mobile Internet era.Under the dual background of the Internet and active aging,it is of practical significance to explore the use of new media in the rural elderly.This study uses the B village of Huixian City in the north of Henan Province as a survey site to understand the digital divide of rural elderly groups in the new media environment through questionnaires,observations,interviews and other research methods,and the role and influence of new media in the rural elderly population.In order to explore ways and paths to improve the quality of life of rural elderly groups from the perspective of bridging the digital divide,and provide reference for the active aging in the new media environment in the future.Huixian City is located in the northwestern part of Henan Province,bordering Lingchuan County of Shanxi Province in the west.It is one of the first batch of new rural insurance pilot counties in China and a key county for urbanization development in Henan Province.The urbanization rate is 46.43%.The per capita disposable income of rural residents is13,822 yuan,which is in the middle reaches of Henan Province.The village of Gaozhuang Township B is located in the middle of Huixian City.The population of the village is about 2,400.The elderly over 60 years old account for about 13% of thetotal population.Based on the above research background and research purposes,the main research contents of this paper are as follows:First,based on the questionnaire survey and interviews of the elderly population in B village of Huixian City,to understand the characteristics of the use of smart phones in rural elderly groups and the characteristics of major social interaction activities.Second,through data analysis and interview material analysis,the factors that hinder the rural elderly population from using new media are analyzed,and the influence of smart phone use on social interaction of rural elderly groups is analyzed.Third,based on in-depth interviews with five rural elderly new media users,analyze the other influences of new media on rural elderly groups and the problems existing in rural media access and use of new media.Fourthly,starting from the problems in the use of new media in rural elderly groups,we explore ways and paths to improve the quality of life of rural elderly groups from the perspective of weakening the use of rural elderly groups and improving the new media literacy of rural elderly groups.The study found that the access and use of smart phones can strengthen the connection between rural elderly groups and their close contacts,and provide convenient living and learning services for rural elderly groups,especially to stimulate the learning interest and life confidence of rural elderly groups.It is of positive significance to improve the mental state of the elderly in rural areas.At present,the barriers to accessing new media in the rural elderly are not only the economic and physical “material divide”,but also the passive negative relationship between the generation of subculture and the subculture of the elderly.The mental state is an important obstacle affecting the smooth access and use of new media by rural elderly groups.The lack of education and lack of new media training have led to obstacles for rural seniors to “skill access” to new media technologies.It is necessary to enable rural elderly groups to enjoy the dividends of the Internet era,give full play to the role of new media technologies in improving the level of rural old-age services and enriching the spiritual life of rural elderly groups.In addition tocontinuing to clear the material barriers,the mental disorders of rural elderly groups And skills barriers must also be taken seriously.