Information and Communication Technologies as an Adaptation Resource of the Elderly in the Conditions of Informatization of Russian Society

The digitalization processes of modern society are carried out at lightning speed, affecting all spheres of life. There is a change in the social structure of society; the problem of the digital divide is becoming more acute. Under these conditions, social groups and individuals are forced to adapt to the new social reality in a fairly limited time. The article aims to provide an analytical review of the current main directions and concepts of older people's social adaptation in the context of digitalization of modern society, and to determine the role of ICT in solving the problems of older people's social adaptation and integration. The article presents: (1) an analytical review of sociological concepts of social adaptation, the impact of social changes on adaptive behavior, models of social adaptation, types of social inequality, including the digital divide, and ways to overcome it; (2) secondary analysis of the results of sociological studies of older people's social adaptation and adaptation resources in the context of digitalization of Russian society; (3) promising directions for future research. The problem of the research is that, in the conditions of digitalization of modern Russian society, a situation has developed when only a small part of the elderly are able to successfully adapt to the new social reality, which leads to the social exclusion of this social group. That is why the problem field of the research was formed within the framework of the analysis of older people's social adaptation in the conditions of modern society's digitalization and the digital divide, and the analysis of the role of ICT in solving the problems of older people's social adaptation and integration. The authors conclude that modern Russian society is experiencing digital inequality caused by both objective (formed by the social environment: the accessibility of ICT tools) and subjective (depending on the individual: motivation to use and master ICT, digital competence) parameters. Digital inequality is a factor in the transformation of older people's social behavior. The authors emphasize that older people's integration into modern society and social adaptation to it are possible through the use of such an adaptation resource as ICT. The knowledge and intensity of use of ICT by the elderly are indicators of older people's social adaptability in the information society.

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