Navigating, selecting, and engaging

Abstract #

Older adults––individuals aged 60 and above––are increasingly integrating social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram into their everyday information repertoires. Yet, little is known about how they actually interact with information encountered on these platforms. To address this gap, the present study examines which navigation, selection, and engagement practices are prevalent among older adults when using social media for information. We employed a within-method triangulated qualitative design that combined stimulus-based observations with self-confrontation and semi-structured interviews. Specifically, we recruited n = 41 German social media users aged 60 and above, who were observed interacting with a personalized social media feed and subsequently reflected on their behavior. Our findings reveal a diverse range of information practices: while some mirror those observed among younger adults—such as information snacking—others differ notably, including a general tendency toward passivity. We discuss how these practices are shaped by older adults’ media socialization, thus offering broader implications for research at the intersection of digital technology and aging. Our study enriches the conceptual vocabulary for describing (older) adults’ social media practices and highlights a methodological approach well-suited to studying usage behavior in personalized media environments.

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