Aging & Social Change: Fifteenth Interdisciplinary Conference

At the Aging & Social Change: Fifteenth Interdisciplinary Conference held at Linköping University in Norrköping, Sweden (22–24 October 2025), our team presented the poster “Challenges of Digitalisation: How Do Older Adults in Poland Navigate Technology in Everyday Life.”   

Authors: Katarzyna Goncikowska (Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences);

Joanna Witowska (The Maria Grzegorzewska University).

Our research explores how Polish seniors experience, adapt to and integrate digital technologies into their daily lives. Based on qualitative interviews, we found that older adults approach digitalisation as a deliberate and often emotionally charged process, weighing up its functional benefits against hidden psychological costs.  

Thematic analysis revealed five key areas: 

• Daily technology use (apps, online payments, health records), 

• Social life and connection (maintaining contact while managing social pressures), 

• Wellbeing (technology as both a health resource and stressor), 

• Free time and entertainment (balancing productivity and leisure online), 

• Transformation and adjustment (setting boundaries, adapting self-control, and overcoming fear). 

Although technology offers convenience, independence and a sense of inclusion, it also introduces new challenges, such as digital fatigue, a lack of self-discipline and the emotional strain of constant connectivity. 

The findings emphasise the dual nature of digital engagement: it is essential for participation and wellbeing, but active strategies are needed to preserve autonomy and balance.