The impact of University of the Third Age courses on ICT adoption

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are widely reported to increase older adults' quality of life, although their use is limited among the older cohorts. This study analyzed the effects of education on ICT adoption by focusing on the impact of older adult education. Relying on a survey of 135 Italian seniors, we found that, in addition to the positive effect of formal education, seniors taking part in University of the Third Age (U3A) courses had higher ICT use. Specifically, ICT adoption increased by 18.5% for high school graduates and up to 39% for those who completed a primary school diploma.