Technostress in later life: A multinational study

To explore sociodemographics and internet use patterns associated with technostress (stress resulting from Information and Communication Technology [ICT] use) among older adults from various countries. An online survey with 3,030 ICT users aged 60 and over from Austria, Canada, Israel, Romania, Spain, and the Netherlands. Mean technostress scores in all participating countries were moderate. Factors most frequently associated with higher technostress levels included poor self-rated health, fewer hours of use, a smaller number of devices used, and less frequent online performance of tasks. In the entire sample, higher technostress correlated with retirement, living with a partner, and residing in Canada, whereas living in Austria or Romania was associated with lower stress. However, the factors most strongly connected to technostress were health and use patterns. The findings reveal more similarities than differences among countries. Improving digital literacy may protect retired and unhealthy older adults from the negative impacts of technology use.