Understanding Challenges as Needs: Smartphone Usage Among Malaysian Older Women in Rural Areas

The shift to online communication and ecommerce in the digital landscape aggravates challenges faced by older adults who are not technologically savvy. These challenges entail predicaments among vulnerable groups in society, especially older adults in rural areas. Adopting an easily accessible technology such as smartphones is necessary for their survival in the digital world, but not sufficient without effective use of it. Smartphones provide ubiquitous access to education and information for the marginalized older adults to learn and address their needs by using smartphones cost-effectively. Through in-depth interviews with 13 Bottom 40% (B40) Malaysian older women in rural areas, this paper reveals that these rural older women were facing different challenges when using smartphones. There were four aspects of physical, cognitive, psychological, and usability challenges. To address these challenges, this paper proposes that family support, in-person guidance, and a user-friendly application interface are essential needs for rural older women to learn how to use smartphones. A conceptual framework was proposed to assist older women in rural areas to overcome challenges and address their needs in learning through smartphones.