Experiences of young Setswana-speaking adults in relation to older persons concerning mobile phones

Abstract

The rising numbers of the older population will result in a corresponding demand for long-term care services. This study therefore focuses specifically on the experiences of young adults in relation to older persons in the context of mobile phone usage. In this study care is viewed as tangible (physical) and intangible (emotional). Mobile phones have proved to be supportive in initiating and maintaining relationships; this is significant considering that relationships play an important role in the care of older persons. Mobile phones have also been explored as a possible alternative in addressing the care needs of older persons. This study is underpinned by the Self- Interactional Group Theory (SIGT), which explains the relational interactions between people on different levels of analysis, namely the intra-individual, the inter-individual and the group level. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee in the Faculty of Health Sciences of the North-West University (Potchefstroom campus), with the ethical number NWU-00053-10-S1. The Mmogo-method® was used to gather data. A qualitative research method was used to obtain a detailed understanding of young Setswana-speaking adults’ experiences of their relational interactions with older persons around the topic of mobile phones. The participants in the study were 16 registered Social Work students, of whom 11 were female and 5 were male, ranging in ages from 19 to 25 years. The participants were asked to construct a visual presentation using clay, straw and beads that represented their experiences with older persons in connection with mobile phones. Both visual and textual data were obtained and analysed. The visual data were analysed by linking the research question with the symbolic meaning participants ascribed to their individual representations. The textual data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that older persons demonstrate avoidance behaviour towards mobile phones and consequently request assistance from young adults with their mobile phone needs. Older persons approach specific young adults who they believe are capable of offering the appropriate assistance, and young adults are expected to comply with these requests for assistance even if they do not know how to do so. Young adults who have a negative subjective experience may ignore older persons’ care needs. In contrast, if the interaction is subjectively experienced as positive, young adults are willing to assist repeatedly. Mobile phones change the traditional relational definition between older persons and young adults because the young adults are skilled in mobile phone usage and ultimately have the control in the relational interaction. From the perspective of older persons, young adults compete for control in the relational interactions, thereby challenging the traditional norm guiding the relationship between them and older persons. The results show that young adults ignore older persons’ care needs, or they use their knowledge to sabotage older persons by preventing them from using their mobile phones, or they reward themselves by using older persons’ data or airtime. Because care is a relational phenomenon, the relationships between generations are vital for older persons’ care needs. These findings can therefore be used to create innovative community interventions concerning effective intergenerational relationships