Sustainability 2023, 15, 1972. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15031972 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Article Sustainable Digital Marketing: Factors of Adoption of M-Technologies by Older Adults in the Chinese Market Bohan Zhang 1 , Li Ying 2, *, Muhammad Asghar Khan 3 , Madad Ali 4 , Sergey Barykin 5 and Agha Jahanzeb 6 1 School of Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS81TH, UK 2 School of Economics and Management, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China 3 School of Economics and Management, Panzhihua University, Sichuan 617000, China 4 School of Economics and Management, Qujing Normal University, Qujing 655011, China 5 Peter the Great St. Sergey-Barykin—Graduate School of Science and Trade, Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 St. Petersburg, Russia 6 Department of Business Administration, Sukkur IBA University, Sukkur 65200, Pakistan * Correspondence: author: liying@nxu.edu.cn Abstract: A rapidly graying population has coincided with the widespread use of information tech- nology (IT) since the turn of the 20th century. As the elderly are less familiar with IT, paying atten- tion to the acceptance of the rapidly evolving digital marketing ecosystem is essential. Engagement with consumers and M-technologies is one of the most significant aspects of the digital marketing environment. The technology acceptance model (TAM) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) were used to develop the theoretical framework of this study. Using technological anxiety as a mod- erating variable, we tested the theoretical model linking perceived value, subjective norm, effort expectancy, performance expectancy, and self-efficacy to measure older adults’ attitudes and inten- tions toward M-technology. Sample sizes of 251 respondents were selected with 95% confidence. To analyze the relationships between the variables proposed, structural equation modeling (SEM) was implemented. The results revealed that perceived value positively affects performance expectancy, effort expectancy, self-efficacy, subjective norm, attitude, and intention to adopt M-technology. Fur- thermore, technology anxiety moderated the effect of intention toward M-technology. The results explain that technology anxiety dampens the positive impact of the attitude of older adults on their intention to adopt M-technology. Managers must address this issue while developing marketing strategies for elderly consumers. Keywords: perceived value; effort expectancy; performance expectancy; intention; M-technology; older Chinese adults 1. Introduction Technology advancements bring rapid changes in human lifestyles and standards in all aspects. People interact daily with new Information and knowledge using internet search engines, features, and frequently new applications. The expanding power of tech- nologies makes it possible to access information and understand sources and services. The boom of technology is also reaching out to the older generation. In China, the rate of the aging population is high compared to the rest of the world. According to [1], China faced the most significant level of older adult population among all countries in the world, with Chinese people over 60 years estimated to exceed 194 million, which is equivalent to 14.3% of the total population of China [2]. Given that China has a large proportion of the population in old age, there is a need to understand the benefits of active technology adoption among older people [3,4]. China is facing a challenge in meeting the needs of aging-related issues such as security, health, social, and community services. However, with the adoption of new technologies Citation: Zhang, B.; Ying, L.; Khan, M.A.; Ali, M.; Barykin, S.; Jahanzeb, A. Sustainable Digital Marketing: Factors of Adoption of M-Technologies by Older Adults in the Chinese Market. Sustainability 2023, 15, 1972. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15031972 Academic Editor: Jun (Justin) Li Received: 11 December 2022 Revised: 11 January 2023 Accepted: 15 January 2023 Published: 19 January 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/license s/by/4.0/).