Communication Networks & Social Change (CNSC) research group is pleased to invite you to the Seminar: «Digital ageism across the life course: Stereotypes and self-stereotypes», given by Mireia Fernández-Ardèvol, professor in Digital Communication in the Faculty of Information and Communication Sciences at UOC and senior researcher of the CNSC.
The seminar will be held, in hybrid format, on Wednesday, October 22 at 10:00 am (CEST) in room C1.17 of the Interdisciplinary R&I Hub (building C).
Venue
Interdisciplinary R&I Hub (building C - room C1.17)
Rambla del Poblenou, 154
08018 Barcelona
Espanya
When
22/10/2025 10.00h
Organized by
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Communication Networks & Social Change (CNSC) research group
Program
Abstract
Ageism shapes digital inequalities in later life. Beyond chronological age, stereotypes about older adults’ technological abilities influence both the design of digital services and older people’s willingness to engage with them. This study examines the prevalence and determinants of digital ageist beliefs in Spain through a representative survey of 2,005 adults conducted in early 2025 (margin of error ±2.2%).* After validating the ATOAUT scale (Attitudes toward Older Adults Using Technology scale), we identified moderate levels of digital ageism, structured around three distinct stereotypes toward older adults: Digital Anxiety, Digital Incompetence, and Digital Inferiority. Structural equation modelling revealed that the drivers of these stereotypes vary across the life course. Younger and middle-aged adults who reported experiencing age-based discrimination endorsed fewer stereotypes, while this association was absent among older adults. In contrast, regular intergenerational contact and higher education levels are significantly associated with reduced stereotypes among older participants. These findings suggest that digital ageism is not uniform but shaped by generational dynamics, underscoring the need for targeted public policies and awareness campaigns to challenge ageist beliefs that, ultimately, shape the digital divide.
* Funding body: Fundació laCaixa, ref. FS24-1B032.
Professor in Digital Communication in the Faculty of Information and Communication Sciences at UOC and senior researcher of the CNSC research group. She works at the intersection of digital communication, social peripheries, and aging. Her research addresses socio-digital inequalities, digital and data-driven ageism, and the roles of quantitative and qualitative methods in understanding how marginalization is produced and reproduced in hyper-digital societies.