The Third-level Digital Divide among Elderly Hungarians in Romania

The aim of the present study is to examine the characteristics of the third-level digital divide among elderly Hungarians (over 65 years of age) in Romania. The third level of digital divide indicates the emergence of digital habits in the Bourdieusian sense, which provide real benefits in different areas of everyday life. Hungarian elderly people in Romania are clearly lagging in terms of the third-level digital divide. The explanation for this is partly to be found in the limits imposed by the characteristics of their age and partly in their socio-economic situation. Elderly Hungarian people in Romania tenaciously adhere to their usual ways of life and previously established daily habits, and their repertoire does not integrate the use of digital technology. The results obtained in this study of elderly Hungarians in Romania are in line with the research results of digital inequalities, according to which there is a relationship between the degree of digital competence, the structure and usefulness of digital activities, and inequalities according to the traditional dimensions of social stratification (economic, cultural, individual).