Old age, digital technologies and the pandemic: on the (im)possibilities of connectedness amidst social isolation

During the COVID-19 pandemic, research on the ways in which older people linked with and through digital technologies (DT) acquired an unusual urgency. Aiming to contribute to its understanding, this article analyses the TD appropriation processes of older women living in La Plata and Ensenada betwe...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: Guzzo, María del Rosario
Formato: Artículo revista
Lenguaje:Español
Publicado: Centro de Estudio Sociales. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste 2024
Materias:
older people
digital inequalities
social distancing
personas mayores
desigualdades digitales
distanciamiento social
Acceso en línea:https://revistas.unne.edu.ar/index.php/dpd/article/view/7759
Aporte de:
Revistas UNNE - Universidad Nacional del Noroeste (UNNE) de Universidad Nacional del Nordeste
id I48-R154-article-7759
record_format ojs
spelling I48-R154-article-77592024-11-07T11:21:02Z Old age, digital technologies and the pandemic: on the (im)possibilities of connectedness amidst social isolation Vejeces, tecnologías digitales y pandemia: sobre las (im)posibilidades de conexión en el aislamiento social Guzzo, María del Rosario older people digital inequalities social distancing personas mayores desigualdades digitales distanciamiento social During the COVID-19 pandemic, research on the ways in which older people linked with and through digital technologies (DT) acquired an unusual urgency. Aiming to contribute to its understanding, this article analyses the TD appropriation processes of older women living in La Plata and Ensenada between 2020 and 2022. For this purpose, thirteen biographical interviews conducted with students of the Continuing Education Programme for Older Adults (PEPAM) of the FaHCE (UNLP) are examined. In particular, we delve into the analysis of two practices mediated by mobile phones and the Internet: the exchange of messages and video calls (mainly through WhatsApp) and the use of videoconferencing platforms for virtual classes. The findings indicate that these appropriation processes should be interpreted in the light of pre-existing structural inequalities in the conditions of access and use of TD, as well as the age construction of "old age as risk" consolidated during the pandemic. Likewise, based on the recognition of complex and ambivalent constructions of meaning about TD, it can be seen that in the interviewees’ perspective, digitally mediated bonds were relevant to mitigate the impact of social isolation, but not sufficient. Durante la pandemia del COVID-19, la pregunta por los modos en que las personas mayores se vinculaban con y a través de las tecnologías digitales (TD) adquirió una urgencia inusitada. Buscando contribuir a su comprensión, el artículo analiza los procesos de apropiación de TD de mujeres mayores residentes en La Plata y Ensenada entre 2020 y 2022. Para ello, se examinan trece entrevistas biográficas realizadas con estudiantes del Programa de Educación Permanente para Adultos Mayores (PEPAM), de la FaHCE (UNLP). En particular, se profundiza en el análisis de dos prácticas mediadas por el celular e Internet: los intercambios de mensajes y videollamadas (principalmente a través de WhatsApp), así como el uso de plataformas de videoconferencia para clases virtuales. Los hallazgos indican que estos procesos de apropiación deben ser interpretados a la luz de las desigualdades estructurales preexistentes sobre las condiciones de acceso y uso de TD, así como de la construcción etaria de la “vejez como riesgo” consolidada durante la pandemia. Asimismo, a partir del reconocimiento de construcciones de sentido complejas y ambivalentes sobre la TD, se advierte que para las entrevistadas los vínculos digitalmente mediados fueron relevantes para mitigar el impacto del aislamiento social pero no suficientes. Centro de Estudio Sociales. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste 2024-09-20 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Artículo evaluado por pares application/pdf https://revistas.unne.edu.ar/index.php/dpd/article/view/7759 10.30972/dpd.13227759 De Prácticas y Discursos; Vol. 13 Núm. 22 (2024): De Prácticas y Discursos. Cuadernos de Ciencias Sociales 2250-6942 spa https://revistas.unne.edu.ar/index.php/dpd/article/view/7759/7289 Derechos de autor 2024 María del Rosario Guzzo http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
institution Universidad Nacional del Nordeste
institution_str I-48
repository_str R-154
container_title_str Revistas UNNE - Universidad Nacional del Noroeste (UNNE)
language Español
format Artículo revista
topic older people
digital inequalities
social distancing
personas mayores
desigualdades digitales
distanciamiento social
spellingShingle older people
digital inequalities
social distancing
personas mayores
desigualdades digitales
distanciamiento social
Guzzo, María del Rosario
Old age, digital technologies and the pandemic: on the (im)possibilities of connectedness amidst social isolation
topic_facet older people
digital inequalities
social distancing
personas mayores
desigualdades digitales
distanciamiento social
author Guzzo, María del Rosario
author_facet Guzzo, María del Rosario
author_sort Guzzo, María del Rosario
title Old age, digital technologies and the pandemic: on the (im)possibilities of connectedness amidst social isolation
title_short Old age, digital technologies and the pandemic: on the (im)possibilities of connectedness amidst social isolation
title_full Old age, digital technologies and the pandemic: on the (im)possibilities of connectedness amidst social isolation
title_fullStr Old age, digital technologies and the pandemic: on the (im)possibilities of connectedness amidst social isolation
title_full_unstemmed Old age, digital technologies and the pandemic: on the (im)possibilities of connectedness amidst social isolation
title_sort old age, digital technologies and the pandemic: on the (im)possibilities of connectedness amidst social isolation
description During the COVID-19 pandemic, research on the ways in which older people linked with and through digital technologies (DT) acquired an unusual urgency. Aiming to contribute to its understanding, this article analyses the TD appropriation processes of older women living in La Plata and Ensenada between 2020 and 2022. For this purpose, thirteen biographical interviews conducted with students of the Continuing Education Programme for Older Adults (PEPAM) of the FaHCE (UNLP) are examined. In particular, we delve into the analysis of two practices mediated by mobile phones and the Internet: the exchange of messages and video calls (mainly through WhatsApp) and the use of videoconferencing platforms for virtual classes. The findings indicate that these appropriation processes should be interpreted in the light of pre-existing structural inequalities in the conditions of access and use of TD, as well as the age construction of "old age as risk" consolidated during the pandemic. Likewise, based on the recognition of complex and ambivalent constructions of meaning about TD, it can be seen that in the interviewees’ perspective, digitally mediated bonds were relevant to mitigate the impact of social isolation, but not sufficient.
publisher Centro de Estudio Sociales. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste
publishDate 2024
url https://revistas.unne.edu.ar/index.php/dpd/article/view/7759
work_keys_str_mv AT guzzomariadelrosario oldagedigitaltechnologiesandthepandemicontheimpossibilitiesofconnectednessamidstsocialisolation
AT guzzomariadelrosario vejecestecnologiasdigitalesypandemiasobrelasimposibilidadesdeconexionenelaislamientosocial
first_indexed 2025-05-17T05:10:56Z
last_indexed 2025-05-17T05:10:56Z
_version_ 1832343207845822464

Ejemplares similares