The perception of the benefits and drawbacks of internet usage by the elderly people

Abstract

This project looks into the perception of the benefits and drawbacks of Internet usage by elderly people, born from the mid 1920s to the early 1940s, also known as the ‘silent generation’ (Lustria et al. in Health Informatics Journal 17(3):224–243, [1]). As governmental services are gradually becoming online, elderly people are required to use the Internet in order to complete the compulsory task(s). The Internet can be a challenging technology for the silent generation due to their experience and knowledge in using the computer and Internet. At the same time elderly people are anxious about Internet security, as they believe they can be victimised, hence the reason why the generation avoids the technology as much as possible. Participants also believed there was no need to use the Internet, as they have managed without the technology throughout their career. The paper also discusses the key elements by outlining the benefits and drawbacks relating to age-related disabilities, affordability, and privacy/security issues. In addition accessibility, usability and design issues are discussed and how that benefits and affects interaction with the Internet from a socio-technical perspective. During the observations participants were observed on how they interact with the Internet. The research suggests participants’ experienced accessibility, usability and design issues (i.e. using the mouse, keyboard, font-size, and logging-in).