本研究旨在探討「電腦∕網路新媒介」與「老人」兩個社會系統是否藉著新聞訊息(網路新聞)的象徵符號進行傳播互動行為,意在觀察老人、電腦∕網路新媒介如何在社會組織中透過符號象徵系統溝通或互動。 本研究採取「敘事主題」檢視新媒介訊息類目,而在資料蒐集過程中以「故事訪談法」與老人對話,佐以問卷蒐集老人之人口及態度資料,隨後並SPSS分析及歸納法詮釋意涵。 研究發現,若給予時間與機會,身心健康且有興趣學習使用電腦及網際網路之高齡者仍有可能成為新媒介使用者。「年齡」實非老人成為科技邊緣人的絕對因素,健康情況、經濟能力、教育程度都在老人面對新媒介世界時扮演特定角色。身心健康之熟齡老者在科技使用上雖略顯遲緩,但新科技對他們而言尚非無以取代的溝通工具,缺乏新媒介的便利性並未使老人減少對生活的滿意程度。
The purpose of this study is to survey interaction and enactment between news narrative and gerontology under the theoretical frameworks of social-cybernetics. Organizing behaviors of subunits, such as elder adults and the new media within social structure, are constantly reconstructing each other through communication. This study primarily focuses on what some of the phases and characteristics of such interaction are. Data were collected via observation through the method of so-called ”life story interview”. SPSS is used to categorize the differences between groups of elder adults on their background, interests, capability, and uses of computers and the Internet. The results indicated that from the 32 volunteers, averaged at an age of 77, half of the healthy elder adults have high interests in adapting the new media. Without high technology, however, current participants are satisfied with their daily routines in the neighbored society.