Anina Vercruyssen

Hostname: page-component-699b5d5946-nldlj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-03-03T10:51:09.377Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 March 2026 Haike Delafontaine [Opens in a new window] , Dries Van Gasse [Opens in a new window] , Show author details Keywords lived experiencesolder adultsqualitative researchtechnologyvideo calling Information Type Article Information Ageing & Society , Volume 46 , 2026 , e37 Creative Commons This...

ABSTRACT This article explores e-reading as an instance of how older people experience the digitalisation of everyday life. Drawing on focus group data, we examine how older people make sense of e-reading in particular and digitalisation in general. We analysed the data with a constructivist analytic strategy inspired by sociologist Niklas Luhmann. The participants appreciate e-reading in situations where practicality and functionality matter.

1. Introduction Increased life expectancy and reduced fertility mean more generations are living simultaneously but with fewer members (Bengtson et al. 1990; Harper 2003). There is also a growing group of older people (aged 80 and over) who need care and support (United Nations 2013; Victor 2024). This impacts mutual support within families and the care provided by public or private care organisations (Blome et al. 2009; Saraceno 2019).