Old age is also a time for change: trends in news intermediary preferences among internet users in Canada and Spain

The increasing digitization of society since the 1990s has significantly impacted communication ecologies, introducing new devices and altering news consumption and dissemination habits. This study focuses on older adults (60+), a demographic often associated with disinformation due to perceived susceptibility to social media echo chambers. The research investigates the preferred news intermediaries used by this group—mass media (MM), social media (MSCM), and one-to-one communication (121C)—and how these preferences changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The accelerated digitalization driven by the pandemic provided a unique context to examine media ecology shifts in this population, challenging preconceived notions about older adults' digital literacy and news consumption habits. The study aims to understand the diverse media strategies employed by older adults to obtain news and how these ecologies contribute to diverse information access beyond social media's potential echo chambers. The research questions are: 1) What are the preferred news intermediaries used by online older adults? 2) How did these preferences change with the COVID-19 pandemic? 3) What similarities and differences are observed between Canada and Spain?

Existing literature highlights the evolution of information and communication technologies (ICTs), from traditional mass media like print and broadcast to the internet, email, mobile messaging, and social network sites (SNS). The rise of social media has raised concerns about disinformation, with older adults sometimes blamed for contributing to it due to their potential vulnerability to echo chambers and confirmation bias. However, this perspective often neglects the active and diverse media choices older adults make. Studies examining media habits reveal diverse strategies, including adherence to established practices, media combinations, and even abandonment of certain channels. The pandemic accelerated digitalization, impacting news consumption across age groups, but the specific effects on older adults' media choices required further investigation, especially given the ageist prejudices associating older people with limited digital skills and news literacy.

This study uses data from two waves of a longitudinal online survey conducted in Canada and Spain. Wave 1 (2016/17) was conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic, and Wave 2 (November 2020) took place after the initial lockdowns. The sample consisted of 1450 internet users aged 60 and over who participated in both waves. The participants were asked to select up to three sources of information they would most likely use to obtain important breaking news from a list of options including traditional media (TV/radio, websites), social media (SNS, mobile messaging, email, computer chat), and personal communication (calls). Descriptive analysis identified statistically significant differences in media preferences between waves. Latent class analysis (LCA) was then employed to cluster participants based on their media preferences, resulting in four classes representing distinct combinations of preferred intermediaries. The four classes are: Mass and personal intermediaries, Mass intermediaries, Mass and social intermediaries, and Personal and social intermediaries. The AIC and BIC criteria guided the selection of the optimal four-class model for Wave 2. Class membership for Wave 1 was predicted using posterior modal probability, enabling the examination of media preference changes over time. Sankey diagrams were used to visualize individual transitions between classes.

Overall, websites, TV/radio, and calls were the most frequently used intermediaries for obtaining news. Statistically significant differences were found in media preferences between the two waves, with a decline in the use of traditional media (TV/radio and websites) observed, particularly in Spain. While call and mobile messaging usage did not show significant overall changes, a decrease was observed in Canada and an increase in Spain. Latent class analysis revealed four distinct groups based on media combinations: * **Class 1 (Mass and Personal Intermediaries):** Primarily used TV/radio, websites, and calls. This class was the smallest and least stable, significantly shrinking and becoming almost exclusively Spanish in Wave 2. * **Class 2 (Mass Intermediaries):** Primarily used TV/radio and websites. This class was the most stable, growing slightly and becoming exclusively Spanish in Wave 2. * **Class 3 (Mass and Social Intermediaries):** Primarily used TV/radio, websites, and social media (SNS or mobile messaging). This class was the largest and relatively stable, remaining primarily Spanish in Wave 2. * **Class 4 (Personal and Social Intermediaries):** Primarily used calls, emails, and mobile messaging. This class experienced growth and remained largely Spanish in Wave 2. Only 28% of the respondents in Wave 2 exclusively relied on personal and social intermediaries, contradicting the notion that older adults primarily contribute to disinformation through echo chambers. Most participants integrated multiple media sources, suggesting a more complex media ecology than previously assumed. Country-level differences were primarily attributed to demographic variations in education levels, with lower educational attainment correlating with more frequent use of traditional mass media.

The findings challenge the simplistic narrative that older adults passively consume disinformation through social media echo chambers. The study shows that older online adults actively employ a diverse range of media to access news, combining traditional and digital sources in various ways. While the use of solely social and personal intermediaries could potentially contribute to echo chambers and confirmation bias, the majority of participants in this study used a broader array of information sources, suggesting a more nuanced approach to news consumption. The stability of Class 2 and 3, which included mass media in their primary news sources, further undermines the assumption that older adults rely primarily on social media for news. The observed changes in media preferences between the two waves, especially in Spain, indicate the dynamic nature of media consumption among older adults. The study highlights the importance of considering media ecology to understand these complex information-seeking behaviors. The findings also suggest that the digital divide may be further linked to educational attainment.

This research challenges the ageist assumptions surrounding older adults' contribution to disinformation. The study demonstrates that most participants actively utilize a variety of news sources, mitigating the potential for echo chamber effects and promoting a more balanced information intake. The results underscore the importance of understanding communication ecologies in analyzing media behavior, especially regarding the dynamic nature of older adults' media choices. Future research should explore how factors like media literacy training and evolving media technologies impact news consumption patterns in older adults. Furthermore, increasing the observation period and reducing sample attrition would strengthen future studies.

The study focuses solely on older online adults, limiting the generalizability of findings to the entire older adult population. Sample attrition in the longitudinal design also restricts the scope of conclusions. The four-year gap between data collection waves, encompassing the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially influences results; further research is needed to determine the long-term impact of the pandemic on media habits. Results might not be statistically representative of the entire population.