1. Older People and Digital
Inclusion
Dr. Jyoti Choudrie
University of Hertfordshire
Systems Management Research Unit (SyMRU)
DeHavilland Campus
Hatfield
Herts
AL10 9EU
E-mail: j.choudrie@herts.ac.uk;jyoti.choudrie@btopeworld.com
Tele:+44(0)7950481708

2. Agenda
• Background to research problem
• Aim
• Case Studies
• Discussion
• Conclusion
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3. Background to Research Problem
• Technology advances and widespread access
to high speed internet infrastructure
(broadband)
• Internet has become pervasive and a necessity
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5. Government stance: Shift in
communication conventions
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6. Ageing Populations
• UK: 2011: 65 and over was 10.4 million (16 per
cent of the UK population) (ONS, 2012).
• Projections are that by 2025 >1/3 of UK
population over the age of 50
• In terms of internet access
• Digital divide: internet and no internet access
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Categories Have Internet Access No internet access
Percentage Millions Percentage Millions
1 adult aged 16 to 64 76 3.7 24 1.1
1 adult aged 65 + 36 1.2 64 2.2
2 adults aged 16 to 64 93 4.6 7 0.3
2 adults, 1 at least aged 65 or more 69 2.3 31 0.1
3 adults all ages 95 2.8 5 0.1
Households with children 95 6.4 5 0.3
All Households 80 21.0 20 5.2
Household internet access
Household Internet Access by Household Composition, 2012
Source: ONS (2012)

8. Aim of the research
• To identify, understand and explore how the
internet and internet related devices are
including or excluding older adults of society
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9. Case Study 1: Older People and E-
Government websites
• 1) Interaction with government websites-mixed method
• Quantitative: Overall 700 questionnaires. South London.
• 250 postal/self-administered and 350 Internet
questionnaires within the sample local authorities.
• Questionnaire was hosted for four weeks, between June-
July 2010, using Survey Monkey
• Interviews: Semi-structured: 14. 35 minutes each
• 179 responses of the 700 questionnaires that were sent
using the postal service, hand delivered and online
• Largest response rate of 41% (n=103) : postal service and
hand delivered questionnaires. Internet, at 22% (n=76).
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10. Older People and E-Government II
• Preferred method of interaction with the council:
telephone-66.5% (n=109) and face to face contact, 41.5%
(n=68).
• 65years and above, who were retired, with no educational
background.-Face-to-face
• Less than 65-telephone service
• 38/40 Asians-face-to-face
• 50 – 64 years, employed and educated up to college level:
used government websites and e-mail
• Most common purpose cited for the visit was to search for
information or contact numbers for council services such as
bin collection and planning application services.
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11. Older People and E-Government III
• “Although I can afford to have a computer and Internet access, because I
had a good job prior to my retirement……. I receive a very decent pension
but for many elderly retired people living on their own, who are barely
managing to live on their pension and have to depend on the government to
sustain them through benefits; I think affording computers and Internet at
home is an expensive luxury” (male, 78yrs, user)
• The websites were considered difficult to use by many older people due to
difficulties in finding required information, which to the older citizen is
time consuming.
• Even though internet is affordable not viewed to be useful to lifestyles
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12. Case study 2: Older People and OSNs
2) Quantitative: June-September 2012. Survey
Monkey. Focused on Hertfordshire only
• 7480 households. 1080 complete replies
• Male (52.2%) and Female (47.8%)
• Of the overall 538 participants aged 65+, 66.3%
did not use OSNs.
• 46.8% used OSNs on a weekly basis, 37% on a
daily basis for less than 2 hours, 14.6% on a
monthly basis and <1.6% on a daily basis for
more than 2 hours a day.
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13. Older People and OSNs II
• Popular activities : Adding people you know
(86%), commenting on pictures (57%), sending messages
(60%), viewing photos (55%), obtaining events
information (41%) and obtaining media information
(41%%).
• In terms of OSNs and e-government, participants were
found to use OSNs for central (14.6%) and local (1.2%)
government interaction and communication.
• It was observed that LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter and
are the most popular OSNs within the obtained sample:
Facebook (66%), Twitter (47%), Linkedin (41%), Branch
Out (10.4%) and Google+ (7.3%).
• Devices for OSN access were fundamentally PCs and
laptops.
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14. Case Study 3: Older People and
Smartphones
• 3) Quantitative: 204. Survey Monkey. 3 weeks
February 2013. 65 males, 139 females
• 88.7% smartphone owners.
• Less than 50-93%. Older than 50-63 - 36.6%
still not adapted to smartphones
• Numbers of people using smartphone in this
pilot is in the same way as Ofcom’s report that
show that 59 % of UK population own
smartphones in 2011 (Ofcom, 2011).
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15. Older People and Smartphones II
• Features of smartphones used: For overall, the top ten are
making a phone call, taking photographs, text messaging,
emailing, browsing the website, using social networking,
downloading apps, mapping and navigator, playing games,
and using for travel purposes (checking for bus or train times).
• Less than 50-Using for transport searches. Older than 50-
filming a video. Playing games. Less use of social media and
apps.
• When purchasing issues of consideration for older than 50-
price and operating system. Younger-camera, weight, screen
size and screen resolution
• Older than 50-get information form word of mouth. Less than
50-word of mouth, media and online social networks
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16. Older People and Smartphones III
• 45 respondents-seek information on the health issue.
• Only 16.7% in over 50 year old age group interested in
health, fitness and medical areas.
• Benefit is not widely recognized by smartphone
users, particularly, older people who not view this feature as
beneficial to them.
• Smartphones: communicate and help bring friends and family
closer.
• For older age groups: less social media to follow friends and family’s
activities. uses more email to contact their friends and family.
• Less than 50: Use more social media and less email to their friends
and family. Location sharing with friends and family are more used
in younger group compared with the old one.
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17. Discussion
• 3 different periods of time and diverse internet related
applications
• Older adults do not view the internet as essential to their
lifestyles
• Similarities appear for smartphones and e-government
websites where older people prefer the traditional
communication channels: Telephone and e-mail
• Assumption that older adults would have interest in
health, fitness and well being. Results were contrary
• Sentiments and memories are important. Photographs
important for OSNs and smartphones being used for calls
• When purchasing-older-price. Younger-features and weight
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18. Conclusion
• Internet is pervasive in society
• Older people are still not accepting innovative
internet technologies, e.g. 66.3% not using
OSNs; digital inclusion is not entirely occurring
• Preferences for traditional channels-word of
mouth and telephone
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