Gerontechnology and Inclusive Digital Commerce: Innovations for Aging Consumers
A special issue of Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research (ISSN 0718-1876).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 15
Special Issue Editors
Interests: GeronTech; data analytics; text mining; platform business; business innovations
Interests: information systems; digital media; privacy, e-commerce
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The convergence of global population aging and accelerated digital transformation is fueling the multi-trillion-dollar 'Silver Economy,' which is expected to reach USD 27 trillion by 2050. However, e-commerce, largely designed for digital natives, risks marginalizing older adults, thereby exacerbating the 'Grey Digital Divide' and digital ageism. This Special Issue seeks pioneering research that strategically bridges the gap between Gerontechnology and Digital Commerce.
Older adults often face barriers related to digital literacy, cognitive load, accessibility limitations, and heightened exposure to online fraud. Trust, privacy concerns, and uncertainty about AI-enabled services further complicate their digital participation. These issues call for interdisciplinary research that integrates insights from information systems, human–computer interaction, gerontology, behavioral science, and public policy. Beyond documenting these challenges, this Special Issue aims to advance digital commerce theory by clarifying how platform design and governance shape digital inclusion and consumer trust among heterogeneous users. We particularly encourage work that identifies mechanisms underlying exclusion and trust erosion and specifies boundary conditions that shape the severity of age-related barriers.
Topics of Interest:
- AI Agents and Concierge Commerce;
- Digital Transformation for the Silver Economy;
- Inclusive UX/UI and Gerontechnology;
- Trust, Security, and Fraud Prevention;
- Intergenerational and Surrogate Commerce;
- Health-Integrated Retail;
- Sustainable and Accessible Logistics;
- Ethics and Policy in AgeTech;
- Case Studies on Inclusive Practices.
Prof. Dr. Min Ho Ryu
Dr. Hanbyul Choi
Dr. Dong Yeon Kim
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- GeronTech
- AgeTech
- inclusive digital commerce
- aging consumers
- AI-enabled assistance
- accessible design
- digital financial safety
- trust and privacy
- platform innovation
- senior user experience
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