Elderly people and emerging threats of the internet and new media

Abstract

Today the Internet is a playground for the young. Tomorrow the elderly people will use the same technology and emerging forms of new media in their everyday life. The elderly people of tomorrow have to rely more and more on their technological skills in order to cope with their every day activities, and to contact their relatives, authorities and different service providers. In the near future, technology-orientation will be one of the key requirements for uncompelled and independent life at home for the elderly people. This emerging and increasingly more utilized service channel also raises questions about the user integrity and safety. What kinds of risks and threats the elderly people can encounter when using these electronic service models and what kind of measures must be taken in order to ensure that the integrity and safety of the elderly people is guaranteed in the ever-changing digital world.