Internet Usage among Senior Citizens: Self-Efficacy and Social Influence Are More Important than Social Support

Abstract

For more than two decades, developed countries have been confronted with two trends that have implications for the emergence of engaging senior citizens in the digital environment. On the one hand, there is an increasing proportion of senior citizens in the total population. On the other hand, the application of ICT in all areas of life and business is accelerating. This paper investigates the relationship between self-efficacy, social support, and social influence on Internet usage among senior citizens in Croatia. Survey research was conducted on a sample of Croatian senior citizens, and a structural equation mode was developed for testing the research hypothesis. Self-efficacy influenced both the Intensity and obstacles of Internet usage in a positive and negative manner, respectively. Social influence directly decreased the obstacles to Internet usage, while the relationship with the Intensity of the Internet was indirect through self-efficacy. Social support had only an indirect association with Intensity of Internet usage. Results have relevant implications for programmes aiming to enhance Internet usage among senior citizens, which should focus on the educational programmes fostering perceived self-efficacy of Internet usage among senior citizens.

Keywords

• senior citizens
• Internet usage intensity
• Internet usage obstacle
• self-efficacy
• social influence
• social support