INCLUSIVITY AND ACCEPTANCE OF ELDERLY PEOPLE IN MODERN DIGITALIZED WORLD: A SOCIO-TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGE TO ACHIEVE SDG 3 AND 10

Authors:

Dr. Neha Singh, Dr. Shambhavi Sinha

Keywords:

Ageing and Technology, Digital Inclusion, Elderly Population, SDG 3, SDG 10, Social Inequality.

Abstract:

The inclusion of elderly people in digital systems remains a significant yet under-addressed global challenge in an era of rapidly increasing digital transformation. Even though digital technologies are being used more and more to improve social services, healthcare, and financial inclusion, older adults are frequently left out because of technological, cultural, and structural barriers. The global socio-technological aspects of older people’s digital exclusion are examined in this study, along with the significant consequences for achieving SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being). The World Health Organisation (2024) estimates that there are currently over 1 billion people over 60 who comprise roughly 13% of the world’s population, and that number is expected to rise to 2.1 billion by 2050. However, less than 35% of older adults in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have meaningful access to digital technologies, according to the Global Digital Inclusion Index (2024). Using a normative and multidisciplinary approach, this study examines how the confluence of digitalisation and ageing creates new kinds of technological and social exclusion that jeopardise international development objectives. A global digital divide that disproportionately impacts older people is caused by obstacles like ageist presumptions, inadequate digital education, non-inclusive design, and cyber vulnerabilities. There are serious repercussions, including decreased ability to engage in civic life, increased loneliness and mental health issues, and decreased access to healthcare. The study contends that the creation of an age-inclusive, rights-based agenda for digital development is essential to reaching SDGs 3 and 10. The elder-specific rights must be incorporated into the digital governance ecosystem in order to fulfil the constitutional mandate of substantive equality. Based on comparative jurisprudence from India, South Korea, the UK, and the EU, the study suggests a rights-based legal framework that includes a universal design standard for digital platforms and statutory recognition of digital accessibility as part of dignified ageing. Thus, this study majorly asserts that meaningful digital inclusion of the elderly is not only a technological necessity but also a constitutional duty essential to democratic justice in a digital republic. Realising a sustainable, inclusive, and equitable digital future, one that doesn't leave any generation behind, requires closing this gap.

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