A Study On Social Policy Support For Digital Competence Of Urban Elderly

Under the influence of the twin waves of population ageing and digitization,smart ageing has emerged and become an important model for providing ageing services and products through technology.However,while creating a high quality of life for the elderly in their old age,smart ageing has also created a digital divide in old age that is difficult to bridge.The New Crown epidemic has magnified the existing digital divide in old age.As a result,the state has raised the solution to the digital divide in old age to a strategic level and introduced a series of social policies to help the elderly,but the introduction of these policies has not addressed the digital participation dilemma of the elderly very well,which has deviated from the goals of smart ageing.The introduction and implementation of social policies should be geared towards building the capacity of the policy audience,and social policies themselves should include a focus on the capacity base.Therefore,the promotion of smart ageing policies needs to be based on the digital capabilities of older people.The existing literature lacks scientific measurements of the digital capabilities of the elderly.Only when the current situation of the digital capabilities of the elderly and the influencing factors are clarified can we formulate targeted policies to enhance the digital capabilities of the elderly,help them cross the digital divide in old age,and truly enjoy the convenience and quality of life in old age brought by smart age.This paper focuses on the digital capability of the elderly,draws on the digital capability framework at home and abroad and the characteristics of the digital use of the elderly in China,and builds a digital capability framework for the elderly that fits the national context.The study finds that the digital competence of older people is mainly influenced by personal characteristics such as education and physical function,social support such as family digital feedback,policy support,community support and digital perceptions such as perceived usefulness,ease of use and digital trust.The paper also explores the focus of existing policies on the factors influencing older people’s digital capabilities,and the shortcomings in policy content.The paper argues that it is necessary to enhance the digital capabilities of older people through social policies,that there is a policy basis for digital inclusion in existing social policies,and that there is still room for improvement in social policies to support the enhancement of older people’s digital capabilities.In view of the factors affecting the digital capability of the elderly and the shortcomings of the current social policies,this paper proposes four ways to optimize the policies: formulating a digital inclusion policy oriented to the personal characteristics of the elderly;promoting the digital capability of the elderly under the concept of co-construction,co-management and sharing policies;establishing an age-friendly smart ageing environment under the guidance of social policies;and building a digital safety net for the elderly with social policies.