Research on ways to enhance the digital literacy of elderly people in China from the perspective of cultural care

The subject of the study is the culturally conditioned mechanisms and social practices for improving the digital literacy of elderly people in modern China. The focus is on the interaction between the traditional Chinese cultural environment and modern digital technologies as a factor that simultaneously creates barriers and opens opportunities for the older generation to acquire digital competencies. The research encompasses the analysis of cultural, familial, social, and institutional conditions for the formation of digital literacy, as well as the identification of the specifics of motivation, value orientations, and forms of social support for the elderly in the digital society. Particular attention is paid to the concept of cultural caregiving for the elderly as a theoretical and practical framework in which digital literacy is viewed not only as a set of technical skills but also as an element of cultural identity, social integration, and active aging. Thus, the subject of the study includes a set of cultural strategies that facilitate the overcoming of the digital divide and the formation of an inclusive digital environment. The work employs methods of theoretical analysis and summarization of scientific literature, comparative analysis of cultural caregiving models, as well as a structural-functional approach to the study of digital literacy as a sociocultural phenomenon. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the integration of the concept of cultural caregiving for the elderly with the issues of digital literacy and digital inclusion in the context of an aging society in China. Unlike most works that consider digital literacy primarily from a technical or educational perspective, this article interprets it as a culturally mediated process related to the formation of identity, strengthening the sense of social belonging, and supporting active aging. It is substantiated that cultural factors are not a secondary but a systemic element in the development of digital competencies among the elderly. Four complementary directions for improving digital literacy are identified and conceptually structured: cultural-educational initiatives, support at the community level, intergenerational family transfer of skills, and institutional cooperation between the state and civil society organizations. The conclusion is made about the necessity of forming a multi-level culturally-oriented model of digital education that can not only bridge the digital divide but also ensure sustainable social integration of the elderly in the digital society.