The growing recognition of the impact of media education on active participation in the society life has led multiple stakeholders to elaborate and implement a number of media literacy programs. These programs are mainly aimed at school population, intending to increase the operational skills of youngsters, as well as to develop their competencies to analyze and evaluate media contents, and to produce and communicate media products to others. Unfortunately, media literacy programs targeting the empowerment of older adults in the informed use of media-based resources for different purposes and in distinct contexts are quite scarce [1]. Moreover, as described in the literature, the successful implementation of these programs in the aged population tends to be limited due to the inadequacy of methodological approaches [2, 3]. The reduced capacity to meet seniors’ needs and provide a meaningful and positive experience that relates to their personal beliefs and values are other examples of factors recognized to be responsible for low success rates of the referred programs [4, 5]. This scenario requires critical changes, as the scarcity of pedagogical tools and learning opportunities prevent older adults from reaping real and tangible benefits from digital transformation (related, for example, to access to healthcare or public services), causing a serious negative impact on their quality of life [6]. This communication aims to present and discuss the evidence-based recommendations that address the digital generational gap, maximizing the impact of the effort made in the field of media education.

This work was developed within the COMEDIG project supported by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020, Portugal 2020 and European Union Program, and by National Funds (PIDDAC) through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology,

Older adults,Digital transformation,Digital divide,Media education,Evidence-based recommendations

• Psychology - Social Sciences
• Educational Sciences - Social Sciences