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Computers and Senior Citizens: Menu
|
|
|
|
Microsoft Statistics
People who
range from 55 to 64 years old are 44% more likely to use a computer than those
who range from 65 to 74.
In the
United States, 60% (101.4 million) of
working-age adults who range from 18 to 64 years old are likely or very likely
to benefit from the use of accessible technology due to difficulties and
impairments that may impact computer use. Among current US
computer users who range from 18 to 64 years old, 57% (74.2 million) are likely
or very likely to benefit from the use of accessible technology due to
difficulties and impairments that may impact computer use.
Individuals
with no or mild difficulties/impairments show similar computers use patterns
through various ages. However, the decline in computer use with age is most
pronounced for individuals with severe difficulties/impairments.
Figure 8: Computer Use
by Age and Severity of Difficulties/Impairments
Among
computer users with mild or severe difficulties/impairments, 88% are aware of
built-in accessibility options. Specifically:
-
77% are aware of display
options.
-
64% are aware of mouse
options.
-
65% are aware of keyboard
options.
-
38% are aware of sound
options.
Awareness of
built-in accessibility utilities is notably lower. Among computer users with
mild or severe difficulties/impairments, 38% are aware of built-in accessibility
utilities. Specifically:
-
33% are aware of a built-in
screen magnification utility in the operating system.
-
17% are aware of a built-in
on-screen keyboard in the operating system.
-
17% are aware of a built-in
screen reader in the operating system.
Use of Accessibility Options and Utilities
The use of
accessibility options is also quite high and variation of use matches awareness.
Among computer users with mild or severe difficulties/impairments, 71% report
using built-in accessibility options. Specifically:
-
48% use display options.
-
32% use mouse options.
-
33% use keyboard options.
-
14% use sound options.
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/research/agingpop.aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/research/acctechnology.aspx
Seniors and technology
In this study, we examined the effects of age
and training on efficiency and preferences in a World Wide Web search activity.
Older participants were able to complete most of the tasks, but took more steps
to find the information than did younger adults.
Chart 5.3.5
Selected purposes of computer use, by age group, 2003
Source:
Statistics Canada, Adult Literacy and Life Skills
Survey, 2003.
computer use
|
|
A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
E
|
F
|
G
|
|
1
|
Computer use by gender
and age (%), 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2
|
Usage
|
All individuals
|
Sex
|
Age
group
|
|
3
|
|
|
Males
|
Females
|
16-24
|
25-54
|
55-74
|
|
4
|
Within the last 3 months
|
40.2
|
40.4
|
40.0
|
47.5
|
37.0
|
42.1
|
|
5
|
Between 3 months and a year
ago
|
3.0
|
2.2
|
3.7
|
2.9
|
3.0
|
3.1
|
|
6
|
More than 1 year ago
|
3.7
|
3.8
|
3.6
|
4.1
|
4.0
|
2.8
|
|
7
|
Never made use of it
|
53.1
|
53.6
|
52.7
|
45.5
|
56.0
|
52.0
|
|
8
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9
|
Frequency of
computer use by gender
and age (%), 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
All individuals
|
Sex
|
Age
group
|
|
11
|
|
|
Males
|
Females
|
16-24
|
25-54
|
55-74
|
|
12
|
Every day or almost every day
|
65.2
|
64.6
|
65.9
|
67.7
|
62.7
|
68.3
|
|
13
|
At least once a week (but not
every day)
|
25.5
|
26.0
|
25.0
|
17.0
|
29.4
|
24.5
|
|
14
|
At least once a month (but
not every week)
|
6.4
|
7.1
|
5.5
|
11.5
|
4.7
|
5.8
|
|
15
|
Less than once a month
|
2.9
|
2.3
|
3.6
|
3.8
|
3.2
|
1.4
|
|
16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17
|
Location of
computer use by gender
and age (%), 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18
|
|
All individuals
|
Sex
|
Age
group
|
|
19
|
|
|
Males
|
Females
|
16-24
|
25-54
|
55-74
|
|
20
|
At home
|
82.1
|
80.8
|
83.4
|
82.2
|
82.5
|
81.2
|
|
21
|
At place of work (other than
home)
|
47.2
|
52.0
|
42.6
|
49.6
|
44.6
|
50.7
|
|
22
|
At place of education
|
5.6
|
5.0
|
6.1
|
11.5
|
2.8
|
6.3
|
|
23
|
At another person's home
|
10.5
|
7.9
|
13.1
|
24.8
|
5.8
|
8.5
|
|
24
|
At other places (e.g) hotel,
airport, intenet, café, etc)
|
3.5
|
2.7
|
4.3
|
4.8
|
3.1
|
3.3
|
|
25
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
26
|
Source: National Statistics
Office, Malta
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
27
|
ICT
usage by households
and individuals: 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
28
|
http://www.gov.mt/frame.asp?l=2&url=http://www.nso.gov.mt
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
internet use
|
|
A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
E
|
F
|
G
|
|
1
|
Internet use by gender and
age (%), 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2
|
Usage
|
All individuals
|
Sex
|
Age
group
|
|
3
|
|
|
Males
|
Females
|
16-24
|
25-54
|
55-74
|
|
4
|
Within the last 3 months
|
37.6
|
42
|
33.3
|
65.8
|
40
|
11.6
|
|
5
|
Between 3 months and a year
ago
|
2.6
|
2.9
|
2.2
|
4.4
|
2.5
|
1.4
|
|
6
|
More than one year ago
|
2.4
|
1.8
|
3.1
|
1
|
2.9
|
1
|
|
7
|
Never used this medium
|
57.4
|
53.3
|
61.4
|
28.8
|
54.6
|
86
|
|
8
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9
|
Frequency of
computer use by gender
and age (%), 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
All individuals
|
Sex
|
Age
group
|
|
11
|
|
|
Males
|
Females
|
16-24
|
25-54
|
55-74
|
|
12
|
Every day or almost every day
|
61.7
|
64.5
|
58.3
|
64.1
|
59.6
|
68.6
|
|
13
|
At least once a week (but not
every day)
|
26.7
|
26.3
|
27.2
|
28.2
|
26.7
|
21
|
|
14
|
At least once a month (but
not every week)
|
9.5
|
7.8
|
11.4
|
6.7
|
11.2
|
7.2
|
|
15
|
Less than once a month
|
2.1
|
1.4
|
3
|
1
|
2.5
|
3.2
|
|
16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17
|
Location of
computer use by gender
and age (%), 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18
|
|
All individuals
|
Sex
|
Age
group
|
|
19
|
|
|
Males
|
Females
|
16-24
|
25-54
|
55-74
|
|
20
|
At home
|
78.4
|
78.1
|
78.9
|
79.7
|
77.9
|
77.2
|
|
21
|
At place of work (other than
home)
|
41.9
|
40.9
|
43.2
|
34.4
|
45.6
|
43.1
|
|
22
|
At place of education
|
6.2
|
8.3
|
1
|
15.1
|
2.4
|
0
|
|
23
|
At another person's home
|
9.7
|
9.4
|
10
|
11
|
9.5
|
5.7
|
|
24
|
At other places
|
1.7
|
0.9
|
2.7
|
3
|
1.2
|
0
|
|
25
|
More than one location could
be given.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
26
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
27
|
Main six purposes of
internet activities by gender and
age (%), 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
28
|
|
All individuals
|
Sex
|
Age
group
|
|
29
|
|
|
Males
|
Females
|
16-24
|
25-54
|
55-74
|
|
30
|
Sending/Receiving e-mails
|
83.6
|
83.8
|
83.4
|
87.5
|
80.7
|
91
|
|
31
|
Information search about
goods and services
|
69.8
|
74.2
|
64.3
|
68.4
|
71.3
|
63.3
|
|
32
|
Obtaining information from
websites of public authorities
|
49.6
|
45
|
55.2
|
49.2
|
50.3
|
45.3
|
|
33
|
Seeking health-related
information (e.g. injury, disease, nutrition, improving health etc.)
|
43.9
|
39.6
|
49.2
|
36
|
47.1
|
50.4
|
|
34
|
Using services related to
travel and accommodation
|
43.3
|
42.6
|
44.2
|
43.4
|
42.4
|
50.2
|
|
35
|
Internet banking
|
42.5
|
41.8
|
43.4
|
38.9
|
46
|
30
|
|
36
|
More than one purpose could
be given.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
37
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
38
|
Source: National Statistics
Office, Malta
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
39
|
ICT
usage by households
and individuals: 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40
|
http://www.gov.mt/frame.asp?l=2&url=http://www.nso.gov.mt
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Overall frequency
|
50-64
|
65-74
|
75-84
|
85+
|
Significant age
effect
|
|
Telephone
|
99
|
100
|
99
|
98
|
100
|
NS (P>0.05)
|
|
Television
|
98
|
98
|
98
|
100
|
100
|
NS (P>0.05)
|
|
Radio
|
96
|
98
|
98
|
93
|
75
|
P<0.01
|
|
Microwave
|
85
|
92
|
86
|
76
|
62
|
P<0.01
|
|
Video
|
83
|
89
|
90
|
70
|
62
|
P<0.01
|
|
CD player
|
72
|
85
|
78
|
52
|
28
|
P<0.01
|
|
Computer
|
63
|
90
|
37
|
38
|
28
|
P<0.01
|
|
Mobile Phone
|
60
|
80
|
64
|
41
|
18
|
P<0.01
|
|
Teletext
|
58
|
68
|
62
|
45
|
33
|
P<0.01
|
|
Personal Stereo
|
36
|
43
|
43
|
17
|
22
|
P<0.01
|
|
Cable TV
|
28
|
36
|
22
|
29
|
13
|
NS (P>0.05)
|
|
Text Messaging
|
19
|
32
|
20
|
5
|
5
|
P<0.01
|
|
DVD
|
9
|
17
|
9
|
2
|
0
|
P<0.01
|
|
Interactive TV
|
7
|
11
|
6
|
5
|
0
|
P<0.01
|
|
Internet through TV
|
2
|
4
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
NS (P>0.05)
|
The positive questionnaire comments indicate
that technology use is likely to increase if it is perceived to be useful. This
applies not just to usefulness for practical activities, but also for
entertainment, as shown by the popularity of television and radio. However
usefulness is a difficult concept to determine, as it varies from person to
person. It is important to find out what the users want and what they consider
to be useful, and then to target design and marketing to their needs.
A recent
study suggests that seniors who learn to use a computer have fewer depressive
symptoms than their peers who aren't as technologically connected. Other factors
may also be involved, but the study is an interesting first look at computer use
by the elderly.
4 Barriers in
computer use
Next to physical, cognitive
and social changes, there are a number of other factors hold
elderly people
from actively using computers. Some are interlinked, others hard to define,
which gives an indication of
the multiple scientific disciplines that are at work in this field of
research. In this section a
number of these barriers, together with the possibilities of reducing
them, is given.
4.1 The relevance of
computer technology to
elderly people
Elderly people in
general do not feel that computers (and the Internet) are meant for their use
[13, 21], or that it is
relevant to them. Zajicek [13] describes that the information about the
Internet, for example, is
and has been explained in terms that are not familiar to them. The
majority of literature and
magazines on the topic is unlikely to appeal to the an older reader.
Even commercials are
targeted at everyone except the
elderly user. This
results in elderly
people not hearing about
possible benefits of computer
use, and possibly making them focus
on negative coverage of
computer use and the
Internet (such as personal detaisl being put
online). According to
Zaijcek [13], even those that are propagating the use of computers and
the Internet tend to
emphasize its convenience, totally lacking the understanding of how much
an older person’s world may
have been reduced allready by physical, psychological and social
factors.
Ogozalek [21] also noted
that quite a few elderly
participants in her study on text and
multimedia interface use by
elderly felt that
computers are for younger people and “that many
elderly people
might have trouble getting used to new technology”, but additionaly points out
that these age differences
may however be minimized by the interface design itself.
Concluding from this, an
important part of giving the
elderly the possibility to use
computer
technology is to convice
them that computer
technology can be relevant to them if they want
it to be. We have seen that
elderly people are
mostly still able to learn how to use computers,
even more so when modified
interfaces are used, and we will see that they can greatly benefit
from doing so. This should
be made clear to older people, for example by giving education on
the topic at retirement
homes and organizations for the
elderly.
4.2 Experience in
computer use
A factor that can be related
to the one mentioned above, that older people often do not have
experience with the use of
computer
technology. This has two implications:
-
Elderly people cannot
derive the relevance of computers to them from previous
experiences.
-
Elderly people that
want to use computers need to acquire
computer skills,
which, as
Blit-Cohen et al. [18]
describe, “requires new learning of an unfamiliar mechanism”.
This means that
elderly people that
are willing to learn how to use a
computer should find
and
gain access to opportunities
in the community for learning
computer skills,
which can be a
major difficulty [18]. As
has been said previously, when taking into account possible learning
8
barriers related to getting
older (which are later discussed),
elderly people are
capable of
learning these new skills
[13].
4.3 Income and education
Income and education are
claimed to be the most important factors in
computer
usage among
all adult age groups [15].
Browne [15] notes that these factors are, therefore, important in a
way that they describe low
computer
usage among
elderly people. This
has not been
researched for
elderly users
specifically, so only future research might prove this in practice.
4.4 Anxiety
Most
elderly people
initially show anxiety about using computers [16]. When having gained
experience in using
computers, elderly
people show a less negative attitude towards using
them [22]. Karavidas et al.
[19] show that elderly
people who are more computer
savvy are
more satisfied with their
life. This satisfaction is derived from higher self-efficacy and lowers
computer anxiety
as users learn more about computers [19]. Ultimately Karavidas et al. [19]
conclude that implicit
benefits of having computer
knowledge, such as being more
idependent, staying informed
about health matters and maintaining a social network, result in
higher life satisfaction.
4.5 Gender differences
Adding to the variations in
the group of elderly
people, some studies show that gender
differences can play a
substantial role in computer
use by elderly
people. Both [19] and [22]
give indications of females
having more anxiety, less confidence in using computers and less
computer
knowledge than males. Being an old stereotype, but still a recent area of
research,
future research is proposed
on this “gender gap”. This in turn might give indications on how
to encorporate this factor
in the design for elderly
people.
http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache:cbNt8sSxv0QJ:collab.ist.psu.edu/future-fall2008/team-space/life-long-engagement/life-long-engagment-files/HCI_Essay_Marek_van_de_Watering.pdf+computer+usage+by+elderly&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
The commonest activities
are e-mail, browser use, and news consultation while the least used are those
related to internet shopping.