Idosos em situação de rua ou vulnerabilidade social: facilidades e dificuldades no uso de ferramentas computacionais

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the advantages and difficulties encountered by older people living on the streets or social vulnerability, to use the computer or internet. It is an exploratory qualitative research, in which five elderlies, attended on a non-governmental organization located in the city of São Paulo, have participated. The discourses were analyzed by content analysis technique and showed, as facilities, among others, to clarify doubts with the monitors, the stimulus for new discoveries coupled with proactivity and curiosity, and develop new skills. The mentioned difficulties were related to physical or cognitive issues, lack of instructor, and lack of knowledge to interact with the machine. The studies focusing on the elderly population living on the streets or in social vulnerability may contribute with evidence to guide the formulation of public policies to this population.

Social representations of the internet for the elderly

“…Family mediation is an important factor for the preference of using the Internet, especially when associated to positive work experiences, both of which are important conditions for the perception of the elderly on themselves as capable people [16][17] . Contrastingly, if the elderly´s social environment associates them with the stereotype of oldness as incapable of progressing in technology, this attitude affects the rejection of technology by the elderly 9,17 .…”

“…Web complexity is also a representation factor for the elderly and may be associated with their concern for the unknown. They anchor the new learning mode on previous experiences with other apparatuses 9,16,38 . In fact, one of the most important factors in digital exclusion is their digital difficulty since acknowledging the utility of a new technology and previous experience are not a guarantee for usage.…”

“…It is used to understand the groups associated to the object, the object itself and its relationships with its own group 51 , or rather, the materialization of the Internet through its tools, the elderly associate it with the group of young people. The use of the Internet is a rather complex thing and it needs previous experiences with other technological equipments in the case of the elderly group 16 .…”

“…The new and an already known category are compared 15 . In the case of the internet, the approach of the unknown takes into account previous experiences with technological equipments and complexity is attributed to these experiences within the construction of representations 16 .…”

Institucionalização da pessoa idosa: determinantes e caracterização sociodemográfica

“…Dentro desse ponto de vista, as organizações não governamentais e as instituições de assistência social, executam papel de grande importância para retirar o idoso da rua, reinserindo-o na comunidade e devolvendo sua integridade. Neste contexto, a institucionalização deste idoso se confirgura a melhor alternativa para garantir o mínimo de suporte necessário para o alcance de uma velhice digna (Frias et al, 2014).…”