新世紀以來,人口老齡化與媒介數字化之間的矛盾日益突出,但學術考察才剛剛起步。該研究采用問卷調查、深入訪談、新媒體工作坊等方法,通過深圳這座以創新聞名的移民城市,管窺老年人借助微信崛起背后的影響因素。量化數據顯示,深圳老年人微信采納率高、使用時長和頻率也較高,但主要集中于微信的社交功能。主觀因素(對微信特征和風行程度的感知)對老年人微信采納與使用的影響,大于客觀因素(人口變量和健康水平等)。質化分析提示我們,對老年數字弱勢群體的研究,應特別關注性別逆轉現象,充分探討數字排斥的發生機制,深入研究數字融入的實現障礙,全面考察數字代溝與數字反哺之間的制約關系。

The contradictions between aging populations and media digitalization have been growing since the new century, but have attracted limited scholarly attention. This study is an initial attempt to combine survey, indepth interview, and new media workshop to examine how senior citizens—as a digital vulnerable group—rises via We Chat in Shenzhen, a city renowned for innovation and migration. Quantitative data show that among senior citizens in Shenzhen, the adoption rate of We Chat is relatively high, and time spent on it is relatively long, but mainly on socialization. Subjective factors(perceived characteristics and popularity of We Chat) exert greater influences upon We Chat adoption and use than objective factors( demographic variables, healthy status, etc.). Qualitative analyses show researchers should pay special attention to the overturn of gender influences, discuss the working mechanisms of digital exclusion, analyze the barriersthat hinder digital inclusion, and explore the interacting relationship between digital generation gap and digital back-feeding in the study of the rise of senior digital vulnerable group.