Issue Two Feature Article:
Seniors and the Internet
By: Joyce Philbeck
Email: [email protected]
Introduction
Think about Seniors in Cyberspace...what comes into your mind? Perhaps the
words, yeah, right? If so, you are not alone. Many people, including the
elderly themselves, believe that seniors are technophobics, defined as those
who can't even program their VCRs, much less use a computer or even begin
to understand how to navigate the World Wide Web.
However, times are changing. More and more elderly people are using the
Internet. In fact, they are the fastest growing Internet user group (Sorenson
1997). There are many different reasons for the rapid expansion of this
group, as I will discuss later in this paper. But one that seemed to be
extremely prevalent was to keep in touch with their grandchildren and to
learn the same things their grandchildren were learning about in regard
to computers and the Internet.
Computer companies are beginning to realize that the elderly population
is a growing market. However, the elderly themselves realized they needed
more help learning and understanding the Internet long before the computer
companies did, and they have created hundreds of sites to aide in that process,
some of which I will discuss later.
I will also turn my attention to the possible health and social benefits
the Internet can provide for the elderly. There is very little study done
on this subject, but the ones that have been completed are hopeful that
keeping the mind active through Internet usage will provide some long term
effects.
Facts and Figures
A survey done by SeniorNet, a national nonprofit organization, finds that
overall computer ownership among adults aged 55 to 75 is 30%. In July of
1994 the percentage was 21. This means that there has been a dramatic increase
of 43% in just 16 months. SeniorNet also estimates that computer use among
the elderly has grown by 15% each year since 1990 (Adler, 1996).
However, at this time senior citizens make up only 1% of all Internet users.
But perhaps the most surprising statistic is that senior citizens, on average
use the computer more hours per week than any other group. Seniors average
12 hours per week, compared to male adults and college students averaging
9, female adults and teenagers averaging 7 and kids under 13 averaging 5
hours per week (Odlin1996). Now many may think that is because most senior
citizens are retired and have more time to give to the computer than the
other groups, but the belief of technophobia in seniors needs to be taken
into account also. Surveys taken among computer users between early 1994
and 1996 show that more and more seniors are learning to overcome their
supposed technophobia as they take classes to become computer literate.
They also show that seniors are using the Internet to start business, help
the business they are in and promote themselves as modern. It seems that
most seniors start using the Internet because their grandchildren are learning
it and they feel left out or because their grandchildren live so far away
and they wanted to be able to use email to talk with them. Whatever the
reason, the elderly are getting over their fear of technology.
One of these surveys taken by SeniorNet, conducted in November 1995 found
that among all adults who own home computers those between ages 55 to 75
own 30% of them and those 75 or older own 23% of all the home PCs. Education
also plays a role in the number of seniors owning computers. Of those who
are college graduates, 53% of them own a computer. 28% of these computer
owners regularly use an online service and 65% of online users accessed
the Internet in the past month (Wrixon 1997).
These figures show that seniors are not as technophobic as we all have assumed
and been led to believe. The SeniorNet suspects that the reason seniors
have been stigmatized as technophobic stems from an 1980 survey that indicated
that corporate senior managers avoided computers, delegating clerical tasks,
such as word processing, and answering email to their secretaries and lower
level employees. However, it seems that once these tasks that are considered
more secretarial than managerial are excluded, seniors are as likely as
anyone to use the Internet.
Perhaps one of the turning points for seniors to overcome their fear of
technology, was the improvement of computers. Computers are much more user-friendly
now. Netscape and Microsoft browsers offer simple point and click overlays
for the Internet, making it extremely easy to surf the Web. Most service
providers offer simple windows, bars and pull down windows that are easy
to understand and only take the click of a mouse. Also, there are new devices
and software for those who have disabilities. The mouse is wonderful for
people with conditions such as arthritis, who find it painful to type. There
are also Braille keyboards, voice recognition, enlarged monitors and large
type that help overcome some of the disabilities that seniors may experience.
There has been a study done that also looks at possible health benefits
that occur with Internet usage for senior citizens. This study was noted
in Forbes Magazine and it showed the health benefits that occur with Internet
use. Psychologist Jasmin McConatha found that after 6 months on-line, the
senior groups mean score rose 14% on a cognitive ability test that was part
of the Geriatric Depression Scale (Sorenson 1997).
So far, it seems that senior usage is growing at astronomical rates, compared
with other age groups. The more studies done, such as the one discussed
in Forbes magazine, and the more user-friendly computer and computer equipment
companies make, the more likely seniors will use computers and the Internet.
Sites for Seniors
The foremost site for seniors on the Internet is SeniorNet. SeniorNet is
a national nonprofit organization that provides adults 55 and older with
information and instruction about computer technologies. SeniorNet was started
as a research project in 1986 and was incorporated in 1990 as an independent
nonprofit organization.
SeniorNet also offers computer classes designed for older adults around
the United States. These classes are held at SeniorNet Learning Centers
and are run by volunteers. SeniorNet also holds national conferences and
conducts research on the uses of technology by older adults. Many computer
related companies fund SeniorNet, proving that the senior population is
expanding because computer companies would not spend money on a population
that did not use their products.
There are many other sites that have tremendous value for seniors. Some
of these are: The AARP site, Seniors-Site, Senior.Com, Maturity USA and
The Retirement.Net. These are only a few of the hundreds of sites geared
toward seniors. They offer information on how to use their computers and
the Internet more effectively along with general information, links to sites
about health, money and retirement, and chat rooms or message boards. Chat
rooms are one of the most use
d facilities by seniors on the net. Widow.net
is especially geared to widows and widowers to grieve with others in similar
situations. Other ch
at rooms just allow seniors to get together and make
new friends their own age and with some across generational lines. SeniorNet
has a message board called How are You?. This board is there to allow seniors
to truly put how they are feeling. In real life the expected answer would
be fine, but here seniors are free to put how they actually are feeling.
These messages range from health and mental complaints to just keeping the
many friends they have met on the net up-to-date without having to email
each individual.
Chat rooms
The most interesting of all senior activity on the Internet, to me, are
the chat rooms. I have had the privilege of meeting some very interesting
and friendly people in the Yahoo chat room called Seniors. The age mix in
this room averages from 50 to 75. However, I have seen younger and older
and all are accepted the same...very cautiously. Until the regulars spend
quite a bit of time noticing your name in the room, will they truly chat
with you. The seniors that finally chatted with me explained that they have
heard so many negatives about chat rooms that they are alert and careful
to newcomers. However, once they do accept you, they will greet you with
warmth and enthusiasm.
Most of the seniors I chatted with consider themselves to be either low
or middle class. When I delved into the matter of income, the typical answer
was enough. Once again I had put them on alert. However, after another couple
of weeks some of them did email me and tell me their incomes. The range
for annual income was $30,000-$60,000. Out of the 10 that would answer all
of my questions, 6 were retired, 6 were female, and the range of how long
they had been using the Internet ranged from 1 week to 3 years. The ones
that were not retired yet had been accessing the Internet the longest.
The reasons they gave for using the Internet varied. However, there were
some similarities. Each one of them said they use it to keep track of news
and finance, health news, chat rooms and email. All of them mentioned that
it was so much easier and cheaper to email family and friends than it was
to call them.
All the ones that I chatted with, even those who had refused to answer any
of my formal questions, did say that they thought the Internet affected
their quality of life. This was a subject they felt so strongly about that
they overcame their fear of me and answered. Each one felt that the Internet
kept them alert, kept them from being lonely and allowed them to meet new
friends to expand their social life. Many of the older seniors told me that
a lot of their friends had died and that this was a chance to socialize
and meet new friends. When I asked them if these new friends were approximately
the same age as they are, the cautious ones who had refused to answer other
questions, answered yes, while the other 10 who had answered all my questions
said that most were but they were open to other age groups as well. Each
told me that they had made good friends that they are anxious to speak with
each day. They related to me that there were people that they could chat
with, about their health and family and issues such as Social Security,
that understood why there was a need to speak of these things.
The seniors also told me that they had found information about health issues
that were explained to them in a way that they could understand. They knew
that if they could not get an answer from their doctor, or if they had questions
once they got home, they could get on-line and look it up. They feel that
the Internet has given them a chance to educate themselves.
Conclusion
Seniors are proving everyday that they are not scared of new technology.
They are learning the benefits of the Internet. However there are very few
studies done on seniors and Internet usage. The effect of computer use on
the health of seniors has been mentioned in certain studies. Using the Internet
to get out, may help reduce loneliness and the rate of suicide among seniors
(Rigdon,1994). Even in treatment of ailments such as arthritis, hours online
creating an active mind may reduce the amount of pain medication needed
(Noer, 1995). It has been said that seniors who regularly access the Internet
will score higher on measures of health and well being than those who do
not use the Internet. Seniors and Internet usage will have many more studies
in the near future, I believe. The more seniors that come online, the more
money computer companies will spend to target this market. This will lead
to more sites for seniors and even better technology to allow even the most
disabled seniors to access the Internet communities.
The more benefits for seniors health and well being that are identified
to be attributed by Internet usage, the more the senior online population
will grow. The changes that could possibly take place when the senior population
outnumbers or closely equals other age populations could be numerous. Many
seniors use their email to contact their representatives and other government
officials, and believe me, they are not scared to voice their opinions.
So perhaps this countrys well being will also be affected due to seniors
lack of technophobia.
REFERENCES
Adler, R.P. (1996). Older adults and computers: Report of a national
survey SeniorNet [online], Available
http://www.seniornet.org/intitute/survey2.html
[1996, July 21]
Noer,M. (1995, September). Senior cybernauts. Forbes magazine. 156
(7),240.
Odlin. (1997). Too old for Computers [online], Available
http://portals.pdx.edu/~isidore/tooold.html
Rigdon, J. (1994, Decmeber 8). Homebound and lonely, older people use computers
to get out. The Wall Street Journal, B1.
Sorensoj, Jean. (1997) Seniors in Cyberspace. [online], Available
http://192.211.16.13/individuals/sorensoj.home.htm
Wrixon, Ann. (1997). SeniorNet.com. [online], Available
http://www.seniornet.org