e-Pedagogium 2015, 15(3):83-95 | DOI: 10.5507/epd.2015.036

Seniors in the Information Society and the Phenomenon of Digital Exclusion in the Visegrad Countries

Łukasz Tomczyk
PhDr. inż. Łukasz Tomczyk, Katedra Pedagogiki Społecznej i Andragogiki, Wydział Pedagogiki, Uniwersytet Pedagogiczny w Krakowie, ul. Ingardena 4, 30-060 Kraków, Rzeczpospolita Polska, E-mail: tomczyk_lukasz@prokonto.pl

The main objective of this paper is to describe specific aspects of seniors' life in information society of the Visegrad countries. The fundamental question addressed in the text is what causes have led to the development of the phenomenon of digital exclusion in this region, and further, in what way this phenomenon influences the quality of seniors' lives. It will be possible to cover the issue formulated in this way by means of a detailed analysis of factors determining the existence of digital gap in the Czech and Slovak Republics, Poland and Hungary (V4).
The paper consists of three basic parts. The first one is a theoretical introduction into the issue of the development of information society. Among others, M. Prensky's theories were applied; he studied psychosocial functioning of digital immigrants and digital natives in information society, the competence models characteristic of informatized society or classification of individuals into the group of e-citizens and digitally excluded persons, both really and seemingly. It is followed by an analysis of statistical data related to the seniors' participation in information society. Factors influencing the seniors' participation in the reality of new media were analysed in detail for the sake of comparison. The conclusion tries to point out similarities and differences of the phenomenon of digital exclusion in the V4s countries. It further emphasized the importance of the most popular educational activities in the field of new media oriented on seniors in Poland, Hungary, the Czech and Slovak Republics.

Keywords: digital exclusion, seniors, new media, Internet, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Visegrad Four, active ageing

Published: June 1, 2015  Show citation

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Tomczyk, Ł. (2015). Seniors in the Information Society and the Phenomenon of Digital Exclusion in the Visegrad Countries. e-Pedagogium, 15(3), 83-95. doi: 10.5507/epd.2015.036
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