ICT use and the elderly cohort, lifestage or just irrelevant

1
ICT use and the elderly cohort, lifestage or
just irrelevant?

• Dr Deborah DiDuca, Chimera, University of Essex
• djdidu_at_essex.ac.uk

2
Assumptions

• Old people are technophobic

• The technologies in use when they were younger
  are the ones they still use

• Aesthetics, fun and fashion arent important to
  the elderly.

• The elderly find it more difficult to learn
  something new.

• The elderly are not excluded from IT.

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Definitions

• Over 60, or retired, or both?

• What about 40 60 year olds? The baby boomers
  (dob 1945 1965).

• Advances in health care mean that 60 year olds
  could soon be seen as middle-aged

• Raising retirement age will this affect our
  perception of the elderly?

4
Questions E-Living can answer

• Rate of Internet, broadband and mobile technology
  uptake in the older population
• Correlations between uptake rate and
  socio-demographics of the older population
• Attitude measures can reflect aspects of
  technophobia and enjoyment of technology.

Questions E-Living cant answer

• Cohort effect or lifestage 20 yr study
  needed!!

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Is PC use age-related?
6
Can age predict Internet drop-out?
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But..
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Attitudes to IT The Internet is fun to use (UK)
9
Attitudes to IT Computers are intimidating
(e.g. Israel)
10
Attitudes to IT I am interested in new
technologies (e.g. Italy)
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So

• Elders are not technophobic
• But are less intense users of Internet
  doesnt mean the Internet is less useful to them!
• Elders spend more online than the youth but may
  spend more in general!

12
Some conclusions

• eEurope 2002 action plan
• focused on extending internet connectivity
• Focus on youth
• eEurope 2005 action plan
• Internet penetration in homes has doubled
• Little discussion of digital have-nots
• Have we got an Information society for all yet?
• Who is missing out and why?

13
Who are persistently Net poor?

• Home On-Line
• Age at wave 1
• in each age group
• N (net) 692
• N (mobiles) 818
• No surprises here - almost the same distributions
• But not quite (young people)

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Common Factors - youth and elders

• Flexible lifestyles, inc. part time work and
  study
• Love of (and time for) leisure activities
• Importance of friends and extended family
• Changes in lifestyle
• moving house
• changing job/study course
• Learning new skills
• Importance of self-identity
• Hate being patronised
• Easily bored

15
Thank You

• Deb DiDuca
• Djdidu_at_essex.ac.uk