The interest of seniors in modern technology and internet use has been increasing in recent years. According to the Pew Research Center, 70% of seniors over 65 are using the internet. Increasing involvement of older people in the online environment is confirmed by Czech research.
The latest survey of the Starci on Net Company, for example, showed that 65% of people over 65 years of age use a laptop at least once a month, more than half of them own smartphones. "The interest of seniors in new media is steadily rising together with the arrival of people who have already worked with their computers in the productive phase of their lives. As with the rest of the population, interest in new technologies and their ability to use them is increasing with education, " says Jakub Macek, a sociologist at Masaryk University. "Still, seniors are at a disadvantage compared to other age groups when learning modern technologies, so they often welcome a variety of computer skills or family counseling courses," adds Vojtech Šmard, Senior SAFE, a project to support people in the Czech Republic over 50 years.
Motivation to learn how to use the Internet emerged according to the research of the company List almost half of the cases from the seniors themselves. An important role is played by an employer who finds the orientation in the online environment to be essential for further work performance. Thus, the employer used the Internet to encourage elderly people in up to 28% of cases. 26% of the seniors surveyed then became interested in the internet at the instigation of their friends, children or grandchildren. Among the most common activities that Czech seniors use to connect to the Internet, according to research, the Starci on the net search for messages and information. 97% of people over 65 years of age use the internet for e-mail communications.
However, seniors have recently become more socially savory. Almost half of Czech seniors use Facebook or other social networks. 63% of those contacted then communicate with friends using a variety of chatting tools. It is precisely in the impact of social networks on intergenerational relationships that experts find their potential contribution. "The Internet and social networks can not give the lonely seniors a sense of proximity to another person, but they can be a good complement to solving their loneliness and isolation. By using the Internet, seniors not only strengthen their social ties with the environment, they develop independence and memory, they also train fine motor skills, " adds Veronika Lelková, Head of Social Activation Services for the Elderly at the Center for Family and Social Care.
Seniors, of course, are not afraid of internet shopping. It is used by 73% of seniors addressed in the Czech Republic, and payments by internet banking use about two-thirds of them. Experts, however, warn of potential dangers in online shopping. Seniors are also becoming one of the most endangered groups in the online environment. "Seniors should always make sure that their password is secure enough, including both capital letters and digits. The password for the accounts should not be written on paper or stored on a computer. In an e-mail or chat, they should not, in any case, give personal information to a person they do not know, " Roman Beránek of Senior SAFE summarizes the basics of safe online behavior and offers courses for basic computer literacy to people over 50.
Source: tz, edited editorially
