FROM EXCLUSION TO CYBER-CITIZENSHIP: THE ROLE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN DIGITAL INCLUSION INITIATIVES FOR THE ELDERLY

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the exclusion of the elderly population from human development strategies generates psychological suffering, acting as a primary risk factor for loneliness and social isolation. In contrast, Digital Information and Communication Technologies (DICTs), spearheaded by the internet, offer a multifaceted ecosystem conducive to accessing information on health, knowledge, leisure, and social interaction. The objective of this study was to analyze the actions and impacts of initiatives implemented to promote the digital inclusion of older adults in the current technological era. Methodologically, a literature review was conducted in the Capes Periodicals Portal using the search terms "inclusão dos idosos" AND "era digital", bounding the temporal horizon between January 2021 and October 2025. Based on the screening of 17 articles analyzed under the qualitative thematic approach, the findings were categorized into two analytical axes: emergency digital inclusion in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, and perennial tools for digital literacy and citizenship in old age. The results reveal a scenario of profound dialectical ambivalence. In the pandemic scope, digital mediation functioned as a protective shield for maintaining socio-affective bonds, although it exposed individuals to psychopathological symptoms induced by the infodemic. In the structural axis, it was found that the appropriation of tools such as gamification, podcasts, and digital storytelling enhances metamemory and self-esteem in senescence; however, full inclusion still faces the hyper-vulnerability of elderly consumers to virtual fraud, a lack of family support, and severe ergonomic design barriers in commercial interfaces. In conclusion, the integration of DICTs in formal or non-formal educational settings transcends instrumental access to devices, requiring public policies for critical digital literacy aimed at asserting the dignity, autonomy, and cyber-citizenship of the elderly.