This study analyzes the dynamics of use between traditional media (off-line types of media) and new media (online types of media) in the specific case of older adults in six Latin American countries: Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay and Peru. The study applies Becker's (1965) theoretical model on the allocation of time to the case of older adults’ uses of different types of media. The objective of the present study is to analyze the frequency of use of traditional media and new media among older adults in six Latin American countries to assess the degree of displacement or supplementation. We sought to answer the following questions. In the specific case of Latin America, do traditional media displace or supplement new media? And, is there coexistence or cannibalism between these two types of media?
To answer these research questions, a quantitative approach was used to estimate the expected association between new media use and traditional media use, using a logit model and an ordered logit model. The results obtained from this study confirm our hypothesis and reveal that there is no evidence to state that Latin American older populations face media displacement. On the contrary, new media have a positive effect on the probability of use of certain traditional media. Thus, through the bivariate logit model it was shown that the use of social networks increases the probability of interacting face to face, while the use of the internet increases the probability of reading printed newspapers and watching television. The ordered logit model confirmed these results in regard to the face to face interactions and the reading of printed newspapers.
These findings speak to a gap in understanding in the Latin American context, as there is little data on older adults’ uses of media. In this paper, I consider the implications of these findings for policymaking in Latin America, in particular policies that target age-related digital inequalities.
Becker, G. (1965). A theory of the allocation of time. The Economic Journal, 125(583): 493–517