Bridging the Divide: challenges and initiatives to get older people online
Date published:
Wednesday, April 21, 2010Publisher:
CARDIRegion:
International Publication type:
policyA recent US study by a major web monitoring company Pingdom revealed that just 3 per cent of social network users are over 65 years old illustrating that although some progress has been made in bridging the age gap online there is still much to do.
The study looked at age distribution across users of 19 different social network sites including:Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter, Slashdot, Reddit, Digg, Delicious, StumbleUpon, FriendFeed, Last.fm, Friendster, LiveJournal, Hi5, Tagged, Ning, Xanga, Classmates.com, Bebo and aimed to get a clearer picture of the age profile of the social media sphere which has been growing and gathering momentum over the last five years. It found that 25% of the users on these sites are aged 35 to 44, which in other words is the age group that dominates the social media sphere. Only 3% are aged 65 or older.
On the web, age is a factor
The company concluded that age is definitely a factor when it comes to social web use:
“Although we can’t say how this will change over time, at the moment the older generations are for one reason or another (tech savvy, interest, etc.) not using social networking sites to a large extent. It is also noteworthy that social media isn’t dominated by the youngest, often most tech-savvy generations, but rather by what has to be referred to as middle-aged people (although at the younger end of that spectrum).”
Older people, social media and the internet
The particular character and nature of social networks may be an element in the lack of adoption of them by older people as researchers at the Universidad Pompeu Fabra, (UPF), Barcelona found:
"They use email to communicate with their social circles; they don't use it as a means of establishing relationships with people they don't know. For this, they have other more down to earth strategies in their lives such as going to a social centre to a dance, and meeting people there"
However, the study also found that older people were keen to take up new technologies to feel part of society and fight social isolation.
Benefits for older people
A recent study by the Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal & Economic Public Policy Studies, a non-profit think-tank in Washington, indicated that spending time online cuts the incidence of depression among senior citizens by at least 20 percent.
"Increased Internet access and use by senior citizens enables them to connect with sources of social support when face-to-face interaction becomes more difficult," said study co-author Sherry G. Ford, a professor at the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama. Hence, they are less susceptible to depression. Another recent study found that first-time use of the Internet by older adults enhanced brain function and cognition.
Digital Divide
Despite the potential benefits usage may offer there is international evidence of the continued existence of an age related digital divide. According to Pew Internet and American Life Project,92 percent of Americans ages 18-29 are online (meaning they admit to using the Internet and e-mail at least occasionally). The rate falls modestly to 87 percent for those ages 30-49, and somewhat more steeply to 79 percent to those ages 50-64. But for those 65 and older the rate falls of a cliff, to 42 percent. In the UK it is estimated that 6.4 million older people have never been online. Considering how the Internet is becoming a fundamental tool in everyday life for shopping, booking travel and holidays, finding information and accessing government services, it is important that older people are not excluded or disadvantaged.
Barriers
Barriers to older people’s usage of the internet are multiple including fear, security concerns, lack of access, knowledge and technical skills, lack of interest or not seeing the relevance of it for their lives. There may also be issues with issues of confidence and accessibility of websites (e.g. need for larger interfaces, options for increasing fonts and contrast).
Closing the gap
In the UK, closing the age related divide is one of the tasks of the Digital Inclusion Taskforce and BT Internet has recently launched a programme to get younger people to help get older people online. Age UK has also been working to get older people using the internet and recently announced the appointment of two Internet Champions for older people. Digital Unite will be staging Silver Surfers Day on May 21st this year in the UK and in Northern Ireland. In Ireland, Age Action have been active in this area with their Getting Started Programme and Silver Surfer Awards while Aontas (Adult Learning) and Active Retirement also run training courses for older people to help build skills and knowledge and show how the internet can be relevant and beneficial for everyday life.
Useful links:
