Research On Digital Integration Dilemma And Social Work Intervention Strategy Of Urban Elderly Living Alone

With the advent of the information society,the urban living environment has taken on the characteristics of digitalization,and digital technologies such as smartphones have become a necessity for people’s daily life.However,as one of the digital poor groups,some elderly people do not fully enjoy the convenience and comfort brought by digital technology,nor do they enjoy the same digital rights as the younger group.Especially for the special group of urban elderly living alone,many people who lack digital literacy and do not live with people with digital literacy have gradually become "information poor" and face severe difficulties in the process of integrating into digital life.Based on this,this study took 16 elderly people living alone in C community of W city as the research object,and used a combination of participatory observation and interview to understand the living conditions of elderly people living alone in community C of W city,and observed the degree of digitalization of their surrounding living environment.On the basis of a panoramic understanding of the daily life and living environment of the elderly living alone in the community,this paper analyzes the digital integration dilemma faced by the elderly living alone in the city,and explores the reasons for this dilemma.Finally,the social work intervention strategy of digital integration of urban elderly living alone is proposed.It is found that digital characteristics have been embedded in all aspects of the lives of urban elderly living alone,but urban elderly people living alone are not ideal in the living environment with increasing digitalization.In the three major fields of family,community,and public service scenarios,they mainly face obstacles to network access and limited participation in digital life.lack of digital use capabilities,multiple needs are difficult to meet;Digital literacy is low,and their rights are easily violated,and the triple digital integration dilemma.The main reasons for the digital integration dilemma of urban elderly living alone include: first,the physical health of elderly living alone restricts the use of digital products,and there is subjective psychological rejection and fear;Second,intergenerational support in the family field is unstable or even absent;Third,the digital assistance in the community field is not in place,and the care for the elderly living alone is low;Fourth,policy care and support services still need to be improved;Fifth,smart products are out of touch with the needs of the elderly living alone.Multiple reasons intersect and reinforce each other,making the digital integration dilemma faced by the elderly living alone more prominent than that of the general elderly,and it is more difficult for them to achieve digital integration.Based on the conclusions,this paper explores the social work intervention strategies of digital integration of urban elderly living alone.It mainly includes three levels: first,the introduction of digital resources,promote psychological access,and reduce barriers to network access;Second,unite multiple forces to improve the digital skills of the elderly living alone;Third,carry out internal and external digital advocacy,change internal cognition,build a digitally inclusive society,and bridge the knowledge gap.