How Leisure Shapes OTT Adoption in Korean Older Adults: Gendered Pathways and the Role of Innovativeness

• In Event: Aging and the Life Course Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): 9: Social Activities Among Older Adults

Abstract

Beyond the focus on technological impediments, offline leisure capabilities fostering digital adoption among older adults have been overlooked. Using longitudinal data from the Korean Media Panel Survey (KMPS), this study investigates the mediating role of innovativeness in the relationship between offline leisure activities and Over-the-Top (OTT) service adoption among Korean older adults (N=905). We employ ordered logistic regression, followed by the Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) method. The findings indicate that innovativeness channels the positive effects of offline leisure, particularly sports and creative pursuits, into earlier adoption of OTT services. Innovativeness functions differently by gender as a mediator. For men, it is the primary driver of adoption, while for women, it is only one of several contributing factors. The gender gap, driven by life course experiences over tech preferences, calls for inclusion strategies that leverage leisure skills.

Authors

• Yun-Suk Lee

• Sang-min Yu, University of Seoul, Department of Urban Sociologyu