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Key Challenges and Barriers to Digital Literacy for Older Adults: Scoping Review
Salman Khan1, Sarah Webster2, John Puxty2
1Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
JMIR Aging
|March 16, 2026
Summary
Older adults face significant digital literacy barriers beyond technical skills, including health, support, and resource issues. Addressing these multifaceted challenges is crucial for digital inclusion and equitable access to services.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Digital Health
- Sociology of Technology
Background:
- Older adults encounter substantial obstacles in adopting digital technologies, impacting social participation and access to essential services.
- Digital literacy for seniors involves more than technical skills, encompassing adaptation, overcoming age-related limitations, and socioeconomic factors.
- Limited digital skills among older adults can exacerbate health outcome disparities.
Conclusions:
- Digital literacy challenges for older adults stem from interacting individual, social, and contextual factors, not just skill deficits.
- Barriers frequently co-occur, influenced by health, support access, technology design, and resource constraints.
- Integrated strategies are needed to address compounded barriers and promote digital inclusion for diverse older adult populations.
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