Associations between education and awareness of government services among older adults: an integrated approach to examine the role of digital technology use

Abstract

Background and objectives: Despite the growing importance of digital technology for awareness of and access to government services, and the persistent digital divide by education, few studies have investigated the associations among education, digital technology use, and awareness of government services among older adults. This study examined whether and how digital technology use mediates and moderates the relationship between education and service awareness.

Research design and methods: Data were obtained from the 2023 National Survey of Older Koreans, a nationally representative survey. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations among education, digital technology use, and awareness of government services, and to assess the moderating effect of digital technology use. Bootstrapping was used to examine the mediating effect of digital technology use.

Results: Digital technology use partially mediated the relationship between education and service awareness. Lower educational levels were associated with reduced technology use, which was linked to lower awareness. Digital technology use also had a significant moderating effect. Older adults with lower education and limited digital technology use were the most disadvantaged in terms of service awareness. However, their awareness increased substantially with greater digital technology use, showing a steeper improvement than that of higher-educated counterparts.

Discussion and implications: A lack of digital technology use may amplify the negative impact of lower education on service awareness. However, less-educated older adults may achieve greater awareness if their digital technology use is high. Promoting digital skills among those with lower education may be crucial for addressing inequalities in service awareness.

Keywords: Bootstrapping; Compensation; Digital divide; South Korea; Structural amplification.