How confident are the elderly when it comes to technology?
by Natasha Christou Digital Marketing ConsultantWhen it comes to
technology, some elderly people are more comfortable with it than others. More
and more are now using smartphones and interacting on social media sites like
Facebook than a few years ago. However, it is important to note which country
they live in, regarding whether they a more confident with technology or not. Long Beach Curved
Stair Lifts investigates the
latest figures:
Internet Users
When we consider the internet in its entirety, most of us would find it
difficult to live without it. You probably use it to read the latest news,
check the weather forecast or use it hourly at work. But, is the older
generation as reliant on the World Wide Web?
Research tells us that just over 4 in 10
adults aged 75 and over had recently used the internet when they were asked last
year. This illustrates a 20% increase since 2011, showing how widespread the
internet has become over the past seven years.
Compared to the older generation across the
pond, figures reveal that 64% of over 65s used the internet in 2016. There was
also a 46.4% growth reported in US internet users over the age of 55 from 2014
to 2017, with around half of American seniors say that they now have high-speed
internet at home. This is a 4% increase on 2013.
There are still just 44% of those aged 80
and over that said they used the internet at all, with only 28% of these having
their own broadband service at home.
Moving into continental Europe, just under
30% of Germans aged 50 and over said they accessed the internet on a mobile phone
and in France, 48% of people aged over 70 were internet users in 2016. When
compared to the 100% of internet users who were aged 12-17 it’s clear to see a
significant generation gap when it comes to getting online. In Belgium, 35% of
the population that were aged between 65 and 74 admitted that they had never
used the internet at all.
Then there’s the aging nation of Canada,
where over 65s outnumber under 14s. In 2019, experts forecast that 53.4% of
over 65s will be internet users. And, in the technological hub of Japan, 44.3%
of over 80s who accessed the internet said that they did so at least once a
day, along with 48% of those aged 70-79.
Staying connected
For a large portion of the younger
generation, the internet is the main way that they stay ‘connected’ and keep in
touch with the rest of the world. Through Twitter and Facebook, people can read
instantaneous news from their local area and worldwide. And, with downloadable
apps, smartphone users can receive notifications of the latest headlines. Is
the older generation accessing news in the same way?
21% of over 50s in the UK said that they
get their daily news from social network sites. This could mean logging onto
Facebook to see what the latest status’ are or checking what’s trending on
Twitter. In the US, this number rose to 26% with 70% of older Facebook users
saying that they log in to the site daily. In fact, there has been a reported
change in the demographics of Facebook users — with the number of
12-17-year-olds who use the site declining by 9.9% in 2017.
How do these figures compare to mainland
Europe’s elderly population? In Germany, only 9% of those over 50 said that
they get their daily news from social networks and 34% said that they get their
daily news from the internet. In France and Italy, 13% of the mature generation
stated that they went to social media sites for their news.
These figures were relatively high in
Canada — with 1 in 4 of those over the age of 50 heading over to social
networking sites to find out the latest headlines.
Smartphones
& Tablets
The popularity and use of smartphones and tablets is ever-increasing thanks to
their seamless internet accessibility. Many of us have
these tiny touchscreen devices at hand which can answer to our queries, connect
us with friends and provide us with useful information at the tap of our
fingers. Has the older generation realised the potential of these devices?
In Britain, figures revealed that almost
50% of those over the age of 55 were using smartphones in 2016. This seems like
quite a significant figure, however, when you compare it to the fact that 97%
of under 25s used a smartphone, it’s clear to see how age affects behavior.
A report published in the United States
disclosed that 32% of American over 65s and 20% of those over 80, revealed that
they possessed a tablet computer and 19% said they owned e-readers.
It’s certainly worthwhile for the older
generation to be educated in using the latest gadgets, should they ever have a need
to in the future. Around three-quarters of Americans over 65 said that the
statement, ‘When I get a new electronic device, I usually need someone else to
set it up or show me how to use it,’ describes them very, or somewhat well.
Also, only 26% of older internet users said that they felt very confident.
While it is true that there may be the
assumption that older people don’t understand advances in technology and are
not willing to learn how to use them, findings have suggested otherwise. In
fact, 58% of adults aged 65 and over said that technology has had a mostly
positive impact on society. Of course, it can depend on annual income and
disposable income as to whether an elderly person owns a smart device — 81% of
older Americans who earned over $75,000 said that they owned a smartphone while
only 27% of those who earned less than $30,000 owned one.
Banking
On the whole, the younger generation have
welcomed advances in technology when it comes to keeping on top of their
personal finances and making seamless payments in restaurants and shops. With
one simple tap of the debit card, something can be paid for instantaneously.
Back in the UK, Barclaycard has revealed
that 20% of its contactless card users are now 65 and over — suggesting that
they are warming to the new system. More people are jumping on board too, 55%
of over 65s have used the tap to pay service, up 3% from 2016. Saga supported
this research too, saying that one in five over 50s use their contactless cards
up to three times per week.
So, as shown, the tech habits of the older generation
varies from between countrie. Eventually, it’s likely that the majority of the
older population will understand the benefits of technology and come to accept
it as a way of life. In the meantime, younger people should be educating their
elders on how to use the devices and how it could enhance their daily
activities.
Sources
https://www.statista.com/statistics/266587/percentage-of-internet-users-by-age-groups-in-the-us/
http://www.pewglobal.org/2018/01/11/detailed-tables-global-media-habits/
https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/itandinternetindustry/bulletins/internetusers/2017
https://www.statista.com/statistics/425292/mobile-internet-usage-by-age-germany/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/410850/france-internet-usage-penetration-by-age/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/373955/canada-online-penetration-age/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/732535/united-kingdom-smartphone-users-by-age/
https://www.recode.net/2018/2/12/16998750/facebooks-teen-users-decline-instagram-snap-emarketer
https://isl.co/2017/02/2017-facebook-demographic-report-adults-on-the-rise-the-teen-question/
http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/05/17/tech-adoption-climbs-among-older-adults/
http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/05/17/technology-use-among-seniors/
http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/05/17/barriers-to-adoption-and-attitudes-towards-technology/
http://www.pewglobal.org/2018/01/11/detailed-tables-global-media-habits/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/421839/netflix-internet-user-age-usa/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/698020/netflix-subscription-by-age/
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Created on Aug 8th 2019 10:48. Viewed 385 times.