Ageing Population

The ageing population and ICT

Picture showing a person using a PDA.The ageing population can use ICT to maintain independence, enhance their education, daily functioning and work productivity and entertain themselves. Reasons for less ICT use among the ageing population are lack of access, feeling that ICT is not relevant or useful to them and feeling they are too old to start using ICT.

Statistics

The NIACE Media Literacy Survey (2008) found:

Leisure time activities undertaken for 11 hours or more, by age; 2008

There is a clear pattern in leisure time activities undertaken with age. Compared to 21% of 17-19 years olds, just 2% of those aged 75+ spend more than 11 hours a week surfing the WWW.

However, the opposite is true for time spent watching TV and listening to the radio. 40% of 17-19 year olds and 80% of those aged 75+ spend more than 11 hours a week watching TV. Similarly, 12% of 17-19 year olds and 30% of those aged 75+ spend more than 11 hours a week listening to the radio.

Access to newer technologies, by age; 2008

There are notable difference in regard to access to newer technolgies by age. There is relatively little difference in the proportion of adults accessing mobile phones and CD and DVD players until the age band 65-74, where there is then a drop of, on average, 13 percentage points. More striking is the stark decline in access between adults aged 65-74 and 75+. Across the three technologies, the decline is most apparent in relation to DVD players (22 percentage points), followed by mobile phones (21 percentage points) and CD players (14 percentage points).

Picture of a person holding a PDA with text you have 1 new message.

Levels of access by age group vary more in relation to computers and the Internet. Access is at its highest amongst 35-44 and 17-19 year olds, with drops of up to 10 percentage points between age bands up to 55-64. However, as with the other technologies discussed, it is from here where the decline is most apparent. Between the age group 55-64 and 75+, the proportion of adults reporting regular access to computers and the Internet decreased by 46 and 43 percentage points respectively. Just 17% of the over 75s use computers and 15% the Internet.

Access to mobile phones, for younger and older adults and gender; 2008

For both men and women, adults under 55 are more likely to use a mobile phone than their counterparts aged 55 and over. The difference between younger and older adults is most marked in relation to women; the difference for men amounts to 15 percentage points to 21 for women. 69% of women aged 55 and over report regular access to a mobile phone compared to 90% of those under 55 years.

Computer and Internet access, for younger and older adults; trends

In 2008, 75% of adults aged under 55 access a computer compared to 45% of those aged 55 years and over. However, it is encouraging to note that, in a period that has seen no increase in the use of computers overall, access amongst older adults has increased by 3 percentage points in the past 12 months. Overall, there has been no change in the gap between the two age groups, which has remained stable at 35 percentage points since 2007, due to the small decline in access amongst the under 55s.

Picture of an internet page on a computer screen.

Accordingly, only 40% of adults aged 55 and above access the Internet compared to 69% of those under 55. Again, there is evidence of increased use amongst older adults (from 34% in 2007 to 40% in 2008) and a slight decline (from 72% in 2007 to 69% in 2008) for those below 55. However, on this occasion, the gap has narrowed considerably; the difference in 2008 stands at 29 percentage points compared to 38 percentage points in 2007.

Confidence in using new technologies, by age; trends

The proportion of adults indicating that they are confident using newer technologies declines dramatically with age from 96% at age 17-19 to just 20% for those aged 75+. This amounts to a difference of 76 percentage points. Since 2006, the gap between younger and older adults has increased by three percentage points each year; in 2006 and 2007, it stood at 70 and 73 percentage points respectively.

However, it is encouraging to note that, with the exception of adults aged 20-24 and 35-44, confidence levels have increased across all age bands. Moreover, the increase has been most striking in relation to adults aged 55-64 and 65-74; the percentage reporting that they are confident has increased by 15 and 13 percentage points respectively.

Main activities that the Internet is used for, by age; 2008

Although there is a tendency for younger adults to make more use of e-mail than their older counterparts – 91% of 17-19 year olds use e-mail compared to 70% of those 75+ – it is notable that the majority of adults in all age groups use e-mail. This is in stark contrast to some of the other main activities that the Internet is used for. Perhaps unsurprisingly younger adults are more likely to use the Internet for general browsing or surfing and playing/downloading music and least likely to use it for finding information about goods and services and using or accessing government or official websites.

Picture of a remote control and a tv.

The adults that are most likely to use the Internet for these purposes are those in the age bands 25-34, 35-44, 45-54 and 55-64.

Other main activities the Internet is used for include Buying/ordering tickets, goods or services; Personal banking; Finding information for my learning/training; Looking for jobs or work and learning on/off line.

Nielsen Online (2008) found that mobile Internet growth is 8x greater than PC-based Internet growth and that the mobile Internet audience has a higher concentration of younger users than PC-based Internet;

Benefits of ICT for the ageing population

These include the following:

Purchasing products and services  

Services are often cheaper and more conveniently available online. Because many of the ageing population do not work, it can sometimes be easier for them to arrange to be at home when deliveries are due than to travel into town and have to carry goods home.  

Improving public service provision  

Picture of a hand operating a computer mouse.There is now a wide range of information of value to the ageing population available online. The use of the internet and other digital services could help develop integrated approaches to the delivery of ‘third age’ services and help provide the ageing population with better access to the government agencies they deal with. Information about pensions and benefits can be combined with advice sessions, details about concessionary fares and a wide range of other services.

Health  

E-health involves the use of emerging ICT to improve health and healthcare. E-health has the potential to increase the speed of access to health, increase patient satisfaction, provide a more appropriate point of delivery, reduce waiting times, improve the use of resources, help provide equality of availability and reduce medical errors.

E-democracy

E-democracy has the potential of making both central and local government more accessible to the public. It also offers real benefits to the ageing population, making decision-making more inclusive.  

Employment opportunities  

The internet can help the ageing population gain new skills through the provision of online training and give access to new job opportunities through the countless different recruitment websites.  

Promoting the interests of the ageing population

The Internet and email can provide an extremely useful tool for the ageing population to network with each other.

Keeping in touch  

Email and instant messaging can be a powerful tool for keeping in touch with friends and family, particularly those overseas.  

Reasons why the ageing population do not use ICT

Picture of fingers on a computer keyboard.Some members of the ageing population struggle to use ICT because of accessibility issues, this might be because they have failing memory or physical health. Others may just not be interested in using for example, the Internet. This might be because they see no added value in using the Internet, consider it unnecessary or feel that alternative channels are adequate.

They do not enjoy using computers, prefer to do something else or have no time. Arguments such as the impersonality of the Internet or dangers such as viruses or possible addiction can also play a role.

Lack of finance or the absence of (basic) skills such as typing, reading and writing can also present a barrier.

Some members of the ageing population have not made a deliberate choice not to use computers and/or the Internet, but for one reason or another have never got round to it. They may for example, not have a clear idea of what the Internet is, be afraid that using computers is too difficult or be afraid of making mistakes/looking foolish.

Recommendations

Points to be considered include:

ICT accessibility

Accessibility is strongly related to universal design. Universal design should be a process whereby the needs of the widest possible audience are addressed by considering the needs of groups who are currently excluded or marginalised by mainstream design practices, due to, for example, age.

Support

Attitude is important but many members of the ageing population might be persuaded to connect if they are provided with the right support.

Minimise the cost barrier

The cost of purchasing hardware, the monthly cost of broadband or the hidden maintenance cost could be a barrier to some members of the ageing population getting on-line.

There is also a cost associated with people’s time - the time required to obtain the right equipment, to set it up and learn ICT skills. And there may be a further financial cost if a person wishes to attend a course and learn the required ICT skills.

Lower costs would enable more members of the ageing population to get on-line.

Improve relevance, communication of benefits and taster sessions

Members of the ageing population will only go on-line if they are convinced there is ‘something in it for me’. Benefits and services - not technical information - need to be advertised, explained and demonstrated.

Picture of several remote controls.

Much of the technobabble of the industry’s marketing is a massive turn-off for manyof the ageing population. The emphasis needs to be on the uses to which the technology can be put, for example: buying cheap holidays, genealogy etc. etc - rather than on technological specifications which mean little or nothing.

Taster sessions to introduce people to the internet are
valuable. They involve demonstrating websites and on-line network groups that are of relevance or of interest to people such as gardening, cross–stitching, life histories, on-line banking as well as finding government services.

Learning environment

Members of the ageing population who are digitally unengaged often lack the skills needed to use the equipment and go on-line. Also, some may have concerns about the quality of the information found on-line and/or security issues, e.g. of personal information and viruses. These broader literacy skills are required in addition to the technical skills needed to use the internet.

They need the support of suitably skilled people, preferably drawn from the same age group, to teach them in a supportive, informal and familiar environment, as many of them may previously have had a bad experience of education and doubt their ability to learn new skills.

The technology skills demanded of consumers are not just required when using computers. The courses could recognise and assist people in the use of the many other similarly-challenging delivery platforms (e.g. ATMs, touch screens for purchasing rail tickets).

Further information

Acknowledgements

Last updated: 20.11.2009   © Copyright reserved    Website design: Digital Accessibility Team