Pragmatic Disengagement and Culturally Situated Non Use Older Korean Immigrants Strategies for Navigating Digital Noise

Abstract: Older immigrant adults often face layered barriers to digital participation, including language exclusion, generational divides, and emotional fatigue. This study examines how older Korean immigrants in the greater NYC area selectively engage with digital tools such as smartphones, YouTube, and AI platforms. Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework and 22 semi-structured interviews, we identify two key practices: pragmatic disengagement, where users avoid emotionally taxing or culturally misaligned content, and interdependent navigation, where digital use is shaped through reliance on family or community support. These strategies challenge deficit-oriented narratives of non-use, showing how disengagement can be thoughtful, protective, and culturally situated. We contribute to CSCW by expanding theories of non-use and algorithmic resistance and by offering design and policy recommendations to support more dignified, culturally attuned digital engagement for aging immigrant populations.