{"id":2407,"date":"2024-05-21T14:06:06","date_gmt":"2024-05-21T14:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ascnet.ie\/inclusion4eu-website\/?p=2407"},"modified":"2026-01-21T13:32:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T13:32:17","slug":"digital-exclusion-in-later-life-a-maltese-case-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ascnet.ie\/inclusion4eu-website\/digital-exclusion-in-later-life-a-maltese-case-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital exclusion in later life: A Maltese case study"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2407\" class=\"elementor elementor-2407\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-bd7bc95 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"bd7bc95\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-274229cf\" data-id=\"274229cf\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-382feb81 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"382feb81\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Digital_exclusion_in_later_life_A_Maltese_case_study\"><\/span>Digital exclusion in later life: A Maltese case study<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-72a97eaa elementor-icon-list--layout-inline elementor-align-end elementor-list-item-link-full_width elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon-list\" data-id=\"72a97eaa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"icon-list.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-icon-list-items elementor-inline-items\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-inline-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-hashtag\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text\">Exclusion<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7244c9a3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"7244c9a3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-8d6efd elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8d6efd\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-19e88dc2\" data-id=\"19e88dc2\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-2d492422 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2d492422\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-79dc362e\" data-id=\"79dc362e\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3878a109 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3878a109\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_does_this_case_study_involve\"><\/span>Who does this case study involve?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-73cb59f4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"73cb59f4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>The Older Adults of Malta<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-808ac2b\" data-id=\"808ac2b\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1794f4a1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"1794f4a1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/ascnet.ie\/inclusion4eu-website\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/undraw_People_re_8spw-150x150.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-image-2394\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1a82061c elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"1a82061c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-545d8621 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"545d8621\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_case\"><\/span>The case<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b6ec752 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b6ec752\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The widespread use of IT systems has resulted in profound changes in the way in which individuals, organizations, and governments interact. However, this means that the manner in which these IT systems are designed can create potentially insurmountable barriers for some people in their use, resulting in a digital divide between the \u2018have\u2019 and the \u2018have nots\u2019. One area of society where this divide is extremely pronounced is in the demographic of older people, which may result in significant forms of social exclusion, and their quality of life.<\/p><p>There are numerous reasons why this digital divide exists, including factors such as:<\/p><ul><li>Lack of exposure to IT systems over their lifetimes<\/li><li>Lack of exposure to IT systems in their careers<\/li><li>Their current income levels<\/li><li>Lack of access to affordable IT training<\/li><li>Acquired disabilities over their lifetimes<\/li><\/ul><p>To explore whether these are the only factors of exclusion, a qualitative study using a series of semi-structured interviews was undertaken by the University of Malta, targeting older non-users of IT systems, to identify what leads to, and the effects of, digital exclusion in later life. The findings showed that, in this case, neither access to IT systems, nor costs were significant factors in their non-engagement in IT systems. In fact, a continuum of overlapping barriers contribute in this study to older people\u2019s non-use of IT systems, including the following: believing that they were \u2018too old\u2019 to use new technologies; a lack of relevance or \u2018life-fit\u2019 of computers; perceived non-usefulness and difficulty to use; anxiety about computer usage; concern about security and privacy issues; and facing disability issues.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6489d2fc elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6489d2fc\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-498b03a4\" data-id=\"498b03a4\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4850a068 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"4850a068\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4c95e9ae elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4c95e9ae\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3d8ef5ff\" data-id=\"3d8ef5ff\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-62d436fb elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"62d436fb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Findings\"><\/span>Findings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-304a1ff4 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"304a1ff4\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1962539c\" data-id=\"1962539c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-18239c52 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"18239c52\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Although these factors focus on the individuals themselves, it is possible to infer design changes that should be made to IT systems (and the messaging around them) to make them less exclusionary. Some specific fears that need to be addressed to make systems more usable include:<\/p><ul><li>A fear expressed that they are too complex to use (this suggests UX improvements are needed).<\/li><li>A feeling that they are not relevant to older people\u2019s lives (this suggests that more relevant resources to these people need to be made easier to find).<\/li><li>A fear expressed by many that pressing the wrong key may break the systems (this suggests that the robustness of modern IT systems needs to be promoted and even embodied in the interface of these systems).<\/li><li>A concern about security and privacy issues (this suggests that better, more secure services should be made more prominent).<\/li><\/ul><p>A series of challenges for people with disabilities (this suggests that interfaces need to be improved to be more flexible and eliminate the need for fine motor control and high visual acuity).\u00a0 <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1611dcff elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"1611dcff\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4ec1e8be elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4ec1e8be\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"References\"><\/span>References<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6d473492 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6d473492\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Formosa, M. (2013) \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/274990162_Digital_Exclusion_in_Later_Life_A_Maltese_Case_Study\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Digital exclusion in later life: A Maltese case-study<\/a>&#8220;, <em>Humanities and Social Sciences<\/em>; 1(1): pp. 21-27.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Digital exclusion in later life: A Maltese case study Exclusion Who does this case study involve? The Older Adults of Malta The case The widespread use of IT systems has resulted in profound changes in the way in which individuals, organizations, and governments interact. However, this means that the manner in which these IT systems [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"zakra_sidebar_layout":"customizer","zakra_remove_content_margin":false,"zakra_sidebar":"customizer","zakra_transparent_header":"customizer","zakra_logo":0,"zakra_main_header_style":"default","zakra_menu_item_color":"","zakra_menu_item_hover_color":"","zakra_menu_item_active_color":"","zakra_menu_active_style":"","zakra_page_header":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exclusion-case-studies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ascnet.ie\/inclusion4eu-website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ascnet.ie\/inclusion4eu-website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ascnet.ie\/inclusion4eu-website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ascnet.ie\/inclusion4eu-website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ascnet.ie\/inclusion4eu-website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2407"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/ascnet.ie\/inclusion4eu-website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3716,"href":"https:\/\/ascnet.ie\/inclusion4eu-website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2407\/revisions\/3716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ascnet.ie\/inclusion4eu-website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ascnet.ie\/inclusion4eu-website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ascnet.ie\/inclusion4eu-website\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}