Third-Agers on The Internet: Impacts on Word-of-Mouth and Online Purchase Intentions

Scientific development and technological advances have allowed for a considerable increase in human longevity. Elderly people, or "third-agers", have come to make up an increasing percentage of the population in both developed countries and developing ones like Brazil. A major challenge for the elderly in this context is their adaptation to the demands of the modern world, especially in relation to Internet use. Nowadays these people have started to show a greater interest in new technologies. According to a study conducted in Brazil (CGI, 2009), usage frequency among older consumers who access the Internet is as follows: 47% daily, 29% at least once a week, 17% at least once a month and 7% less than once a month. These data confirm the promising market represented by elderly people. Given the change in population structure, combined with the considerable technological development resulting from the growth of Internet use in day-to-day life, it is important to understand Internet usage among elderly consumers. To analyze this, it is important that future studies concern themselves with the purpose of use, frequency of access and the future impacts that the Internet may have upon such customers. This theoretical article is organized with such questions in mind. Based on the literature, we have constructed a model to be tested in a subsequent study to help identify the relationships between the several variables surrounding this consumer behavior and the use of the Internet. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V.