The impact of aging on access to technology

Abstract

The number of people over the age of 65 is increasing worldwide with the fastest growing subgroup those aged 80+ years. Computer and information technologies hold promise in terms of increasing the quality of life for older people. However, successful use of technology by older adults is predicated on systems that are designed to accommodate the needs and preferences of this user group. This paper discusses the implications of age-related changes in cognition for system design. Generally, the existing literature shows that, although older adults are willing to use technology, many report usability problems with existing systems and these problems may in part be due to the cognitive and perceptual demands placed on the user. These findings are discussed in terms of guidelines for system design.

Attitudes of older mobile phone users towards mobile phones

“…Second, there has been a negative image of the elderly since the early 21 th century, due to their lack of productivity and loss of social prestige (Dias, 2012). Additionally, many studies on the digital divide report a strong negative correlation between age and technology adoption and use (e.g., Czaja and Lee, 2007;Morris, Goodman, and Brading, 2007;Neves and Amaro, 2012;van Deursen and van Dijk, 2014), which further devalues the older adult group. However, this situation is gradually being inverted and older adults are gaining more attention in academic, business and technology industry worlds for a number of reasons.…”

Perceptions on technology for volunteer respite care for bedridden elders in Chile

“…Attitude is another factor associated with Internet use, where even senior citizens’ use of technology is mediated by the style with which they approach this technology. A more active confrontation or a proactive stance when faced with challenges would increase the probability of using a computer (Czaja & Lee, 2007; Werner, Carlson, Jordan-Marsh, & Clark, 2011). Additionally, an ICT design that does not adapt to the needs of the community is another factor that could affect its use (Czaja & Lee, 2007).…”

“…A more active confrontation or a proactive stance when faced with challenges would increase the probability of using a computer (Czaja & Lee, 2007; Werner, Carlson, Jordan-Marsh, & Clark, 2011). Additionally, an ICT design that does not adapt to the needs of the community is another factor that could affect its use (Czaja & Lee, 2007). Furthermore, Internet usage would enable the informal caregiver to access sufficient information on self-care (Marziali & Donahue, 2006; Petrovic, 2013), and locate respite care service providers in their neighbourhood without having to leave their home (Mastel-Smith & Stanley-Hermanns, 2012; Petrovic, 2013).…”

Seniors’ experiences with online banking

“…In 2010, older workers accounted for 17% -31% of the population of the European Union, while it is forecast that by 2050 these rates will have more than doubled [8]. Intimately related to issues involved in the design of new websites or applications for seniors is the importance of understanding the highly complex process of human ageing as cognitive, perceptual and motor abilities decline with age and thus render more difficult many tasks, including basic pointing and selecting, that are commonly used in interaction with a device [9], [10], [11], [12].…”