Elderly In Russia: Between Life-Long Learning, Сaring, Consumer Society And Ict

Abstract

The article highlights the results of our study which deals with the elderly, their information practices in Russia and trend of its utilization. The main goal of our qualitative research was to evaluate the need of elderly computer users to develop their educational and labour practices. The implementation of information technologies in most current workplaces has sharpened the "skills gap" problem of the older generation and the problem of social exclusion from the information society. "ICT-education" is the innovative part of the social services' system, in the addition traditional medical services, housing and care. In modern society extending employment is even more a priority, than development of access to social services. But the analysis of computer literacy training programs for elderly people led us to the conclusion that they are not oriented for this goal and so on to the conclusion to e-government services.Such training is likely become a new prestigious sort of leisure for elderly, realised with support of libraries and social services, so it corresponds much to the logic of the "consumer society" A lack of efficiency criteria of training and the absence of ideas about the results that need to be reached in ICT learning have led to an even greater consumering of elderly people-clients of social services.