Older adults’ perception and experience of the leisure gap with younger adults: a photovoice study

As South Korea is predicted to become a super-aging society in 2025, utilizing leisure time for many older adults is becoming an even more important issue. According to the Korean National Leisure Activities Survey, older adults have more leisure time than younger adults, but their satisfaction with leisure activities is lower, and the generation gaps in leisure activity diversity, leisure consumption, and leisure awareness are widening. Not only policymakers and researchers but also seniors themselves must recognize and proactively address the problem of the leisure gaps so that more effective and practical solutions can be devised. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore older adults' perceptions and experiences of the leisure gaps with younger adults. By adopting the photovoice research method, which is a participatory research method, this study sought to understand the problem of the leisure gaps faced by the senior generation through their own voices. From eight seniors in their 60s or older, statement data were collected through photographs taken by the research participants themselves, focus group interviews (FGI), and individual in-depth interviews. Data analysis revealed a total of six high-level thematic categories, or leisure gaps, as follows: the gaps in trying new activities, consumption perception, leisure perception, relationship perception, care conditions, and adaptability. From the results, the leisure reality faced by older adults was derived, and solutions to the leisure gaps were organized into the following six categories: developing inexpensive and diverse leisure programs, expanding access to leisure information, supporting the formation of leisure communities, developing and supporting leisure education programs, supporting leisure for family caregivers, and operating detailed multi-level programs. By applying the photovoice method, this study enabled a deeper understanding of the experiences of the leisure gaps as perceived by older adults, captured various perspectives of theirs, and demonstrated that seniors were able to consider and contemplate the issue of the leisure gaps on their own and derive improvement measures.