Digital literacy of the “third age” generation as an adaptive resource in the information society

The paper presents the analysis of the role of digital literacy in the adaptation of the “third age” generation to the conditions of the modern information society. It is noted that the formation of the information society and the spread of new digital technologies is a significant factor of socio-cultural transformations, affecting among other things, the generational dynamics of the modern Russian society. At the same time, the study of the processes associated with digitalization in modern conditions lags behind the needs of theory and practice. Based on the analysis of the results of sociological research conducted within the framework of the project “Dynamics of real and conditional generations in the information, multi-confessional society (on the material of the Republic of Tatarstan)” with the use of quantitative and qualitative methodology, various parameters of the use of digital technologies by the older generation are revealed. It is noted that the generation of the “third age” in modern conditions feels the lack of knowledge in the field of digital technologies and recognizes the undisputed leadership in this area for the younger generations. At the same time, the results of the study show that the representatives of the “third age” generation for the most part actively increase their digital literacy and use it as an adaptation resource in the information society, as evidenced, among other things, by the dynamics of the use of the Internet by representatives of different generations from 2012 to 2017. It is proved that digital literacy can promote activation of social position, improvement of quality of life, intensification of intergenerational and intra-generational interactions. Based on the analysis of empirical data, several most significant areas of such use are identified: digital technologies as a factor contributing to the activation of social interaction both at the macro-and micro-level of intergenerational interaction; as a possibility of manifestation of an active life position; as a mechanism for improving the quality of life of representatives of the “third age“ generation.