Innovation Diffusion in an Aging Society: Evidence from 15 Years of Smartphone Adoption in Korea

This talk examines how age and generational differences shape smartphone adoption patterns in South Korea, one of the world’s most rapidly aging societies. Using discrete-time hazard models, the analysis investigates whether digital divides reflect temporary life stage effects or persistent generational differences that accompany cohorts throughout their lives. Preliminary results reveal striking heterogeneity both across and within age cohorts, suggesting that neither age nor cohort membership alone fully explains adoption patterns. Motivated by these findings, the talk concludes by introducing an age-period-cohort framework designed to separate the distinct effects of aging, different formative experiences (cohort effect), and changing environment (period effect) on technology adoption.

About the speaker:

Jinseok Kim is a Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford’s Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) and the Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab (SNAPL). His research examines economic decision-making and technology adoption through the lens of behavioral and applied microeconomics. Using econometric modeling and experimental approaches, he studies consumer behavior, innovation diffusion, and the interaction between policy, markets, and demographic change. His work contributes to understanding how psychological factors and institutional contexts shape economic choices and the adoption of new technologies.