Abstract

This study examines the processes of technology adoption and appropriation among older adults participating in two community-based digital inclusion workshops (LAB65+) in Madrid, exploring how digital technologies are appropriated within community learning environments and identifying the social, relational, and pedagogical factors that shape this process, with particular attention to the role of mutual support, warm experts, and community learning dynamics. Drawing on a series of workshops and group interaction recordings conducted with regular attendees, the research identifies a set of factors that consistently shape participants’ engagement with digital tools. Particular attention is given to socio-educational background, previous work experience, and prior exposure to technology, as well as to the everyday motivations associated with the use of mobile phones for communication through WhatsApp, online purchasing, access to health services, and routine banking procedures. Across both labs, the findings reveal that successful and sustained engagement with technology among older adults depends less on technical training per se than on elements related to motivation, self-efficacy, meaningful instruction, and the creation or reinforcement of social ties in familiar environments. Although minor differences emerge between the two settings, the evidence consistently underscores the centrality of these relational and contextual factors over purely operational or skill-based considerations. The study highlights the need for community-oriented approaches that recognize and build upon the social dimensions of learning and using technology in later life.

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