McKenna, Brad, Cai, Wenjie ORCID: 0000-0002-1505-7240 and Yoon, Hyunsun ORCID: 0000-0001-5679-3335 (2023) Chinese older adults’ social media use: a study of WeChat from a social practice perspective. Information Technology and People. ISSN 0959-3845 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-10-2022-0787)

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Abstract

Purpose – Research into older adults’ use of social media remains limited. Driven by increasing digitalisation in China, we focus on Chinese older adults (aged 60 to 75) use of WeChat.
Design/methodology/approach – This study used a qualitative interpretive approach and interviewed Chinese older adults to uncover their social practices of WeChat use in everyday life.
Findings – By using social practice theory (SPT), the paper unfolds Chinese older adults’ social practices of WeChat use in everyday life and reveals how they adopt and resist the drastic changes in Chinese society.
Originality – The study contributes to new understandings of social practice theory from technology use by emphasising the dynamic characteristics of its three elements. We synthesise both adoptions and resistance in SPT and highlight the importance of understanding three elements interdependently within specific contexts, which are conditioned by structure and agency.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	social media; WeChat; older adults; Chinese; qualitative; social practice theory
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Business
Last Modified:	21 Dec 2023 15:30
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/44134

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