20.500.12556/DKUM-93848 Exploring smartphone-related digital divide among South Korean older adults Purpose: One of the crucial steps towards fully grasping the benefits of smartphone use for all is to explore the existence of a digital divide and its relationship to different outcomes of smartphone use. In so doing, this study explored the smartphone-related digital divide among South Korean older adults in terms of access, use and outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: In-person interviews using questionnaires were conducted to collect the data from a total number of 372 older adults aged 60 and above in eleven community centers in the Seoul Metropolitan area in Korea, 223 of whom owned a smartphone. Results: This study found that most participants use smartphones to communicate with personal relationships and support system. There were, however, differences among groups related to gender, age, and ICT training in terms of the extent of smartphone usage and participation in virtual communities. In three age groups of 60+, 70+ and 80+, a younger cohort and those with ICT training had higher smartphone literacy, harnessing the potential of smartphones. Those who used smartphones to stay connected to their social group and for entertainment showed a lower level of loneliness. Conclusion: This study shows that older adults (i.e., 60+) are not a homogenous group when it comes to using smartphones. There are distinct differences in older smartphone users, especially in the age groups 60+, 70+ and 80+. Older adults should be encouraged to use smartphones for better connectivity with their social groups and entertainment, potentially decreasing their feeling of loneliness. older adults digital divide smartphone loneliness South Korea starejši odrasli digitalni razkorak pametni telefoni osamljenost Južna Koreja true false true Ekonomski fakultet Osijek Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Znanstveno delo 2025-07-24 03:09:54 2025-11-11 09:21:04 2025-11-12 03:36:33 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2024 0 0 Str. 29-43 št. 1 Letn. 37 2024 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 2023-10-10 2024-01-09 2024-06-17 004.382.74(519.5) 202348291 10.51680/ev.37.1.3 0353-359X Yoon_2024_Exploring_smartphone_related_divide.pdf Yoon_2024_Exploring_smartphone_related_divide.pdf 1 4D728CF681E035BB60D90F2941854F46 67191b230cdbc01a473325993a6969a88abbbfc22371816f3fc76b72024c42a6 1e5b946c-bed7-11f0-9c6a-00155d000105 https://dk.um.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=200536 https://doi.org/10.51680/ev.37.1.3 0 49aa87d6-bed7-11f0-9c6a-00155d000105 https://dk.um.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=200537 Fakulteta za turizem 0 0 0