Subjective markers of successful aging and change in Internet use among older adults: The distinctive role of subjective health

Lower rates of Internet adoption among older adults pose significant challenges in delivering important online services to older adults. Addressing the age-related digital divide requires determining factors that can influence Internet use in aging and may be targeted for intervention. Candidate factors include self-perceptions associated with successful aging, but prior research has not determined whether changes in self-perceptions are related to changes in Internet use within individuals. The present study examined the relationship between self-perception measures (subjective age, subjective health, and life satisfaction) and Internet use among older adults, using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study. Results indicated a selectively robust relationship between Internet use and better subjective health among older Americans. Further, these relationships were not altered by changes in technology adoption over time. Finally, longitudinal data over eight years revealed that change in Internet use was selectively associated with changes in subjective health. Together, these results indicate that among self-perception measures of successful aging, subjective health has a robust relationship with both current Internet use and changes in Internet use over time among older Americans. Such findings suggest that effective interventions to increase digital technology utilization likely require accommodations for older adults with poor subjective health.