Why Do Older Adults Lag Behind? Comparing Smart Home Technology Adoption Across Generations in Aging China

Smart home technology (SHT) holds considerable promise for aging in place, yet older adults’ adoption lags markedly behind younger generations. Drawing on Gibson’s Affordance Theory and the Andersen Behavioral Model, this study employs an intergenerational comparative design to identify the capabilities gap underlying this divide. Data were drawn from a nationally representative survey, comprising a younger group (aged 18–25, n = 2,022) and an older group (aged >65, n = 875). Regression analyses identified new media use and self-rated global health as shared positive predictors of SHT adoption intention, and traditional media use as a negative predictor. Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition revealed that endowment differences in new media use and self-rated global health largely explained the generational gap, whereas family health, despite higher endowments among older adults, exhibited larger coefficients among younger adults. Moderation analysis localized the primary barrier to intention formation rather than behavioral follow-through, and mediation analysis confirmed new media use as an actionable intervention pathway. These findings reframe the generational adoption gap as a structural phenomenon rooted in differential user capabilities, informing the design of age-targeted interventions.