The demographic changes have resulted in an increased proportion of older people in the population in several countries. To have a large proportion of older people in the population is a situation that is historically unique and basically something positive. Despite this, the aging population is discussed as a problem as it puts pressure on pension systems and health care systems. As education and learning have contributed to positive development in several ways, the interest for older adults learning has increased. Education that occurs later in life can be considered as a means of supporting participation in an extended working life, as a democratic citizen, and as a way of promoting well-being.

Research on older adults learning is considered the fastest growing branch of adult education in post-industrial countries and one of the most crucial challenges facing current adult European education (Formosa, 2000). Older adults learning focuses on the diverse provision of late-life learning, the motivations and interests of older learners, participation in and emancipatory policies for older adult learning, and the benefits of learning at different levels (Schmidt-Hertha, Formosa & Fragoso, 2019). Research in a Swedish context has provided insights into different aspects of older adults learning, such as intergenerational relationships, motivations and benefits, inclusion and participation, online and offline learning, working-life and guidance. The presentation will engage in a dialogue about these topics.

Background and Aim: Easy access to support for digital issues is a core concern for a lot of elderly users, and prospective users, of digital devices. At the same time, this is a challenge from at least two perspectives; (1) the diversified digital adoption among the elderly, and (2) the diversified digital devices and services offered and used. This study aims to describe and analyse the complexity in digital support for the elderly.

Method: Data was collected by 20 hours of open observations at a public support centre and analysed by thematic analyses of field notes.

Results: Preliminary results indicate from the first perspective that the complexity in the support is related to the overall life situation of the elderly. From the second perspective, the complexity in devices and services needed support for also reflect differences in life situations and socio-economical prerequisites.

Discussion and implications: The result highlights the need for warm experts in supports situation for elderly, experts with an understanding of different life situations and an ability to meet the support seekers at their digital literacy level. It also highlights the need for experts that accept and understand differences in digital accessibility and needs. The conclusion is that support functions for the elderly demands more than tech-savvy youngsters or professionals to facilitate digital inclusion and prevent digital drop-outs.

Drawing on data derived from a nationwide postal survey (n = 1264) with a simple random sample of Swedes between ages 65 and 85 (response rate: 63%), the article analyses the general patterns of: (a) degrees of information and communication (ICT) access and (b) ICT-literacy among Swedish senior citizens. The overall patterns of access and literacy are analysed in light of senior citizens’ assets – conceptualized as material, discursive and social resources – and their age and gender. The analysis reveals a positive correlation between levels of material (e.g., income), discursive (e.g., English skills) and social (e.g., social networks) resources and access to ICT. With greater resources, the average number of devices increases. The analysis also reveals a positive correlation between discursive and social resources and ICT-literacy. Gender has no bearing on access to devices, but might have some effect on ICT-literacy. The correlation between age, access and literacy is negative. With increasing age, both access and literacy decreases. In this respect, the study reveals a generational effect. However, since all three resources tend to decrease over the life cycle, the results are also discussed in terms of an age effect. These data and our analyses are contextualized by a critical discussion that reflects on the implications of these general patterns: What do they mean for senior citizens’ abilities to be included and participate in a continuously digitalizing society?

Inspired by the theoretical notion of media repertoires, this article analyses what online repertoires Swedish senior citizens construct in everyday life. It answers two research questions: What online repertoires do elderly users have? How do elderly users’ online repertoires vary depending on their access to material, discursive and social resources? The article draws on data from a large, representative Swedish survey (n = 1264, response rate 63%), and uses correlations and multiple regression analysis to identify and analyse online repertoires with reference to elderly users’ access to resources such as income, infrastructure, level of education and social networks. The analysis reveals a significant element of selectivity in the online repertoires of elderly users. It also shows strong connections between different Internet activities. In addition, it offers substantial evidence in support of the proposition that individuals who are resource rich have broader repertoires and higher frequency of usage than other users.