Day of the elderly: How does this group access the internet? What can we do to help them enjoy it?

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed October 1 as International Day of Older Persons. The international community thus urges reflection on the social and political challenges posed by growing demographic aging and proposes to promote active aging.

Although older people were not born in the age of new communication technologies, more and more older people are interested in learning about the digital world, gradually becoming 3.0 grandparents. The new generations of grandparents, while not digital natives, break with the stereotype of a person disconnected from the online world.

The digital newspaper www.social.cat published that in 2019, “44% of people over the age of 65 acknowledge that they use social media, such as Whatsapp and Facebook, as a primary way to combat loneliness or isolation and stay connected with their environment ". These data come from a survey of 864 people in centers such as homes and the Internet — active people — which "breaks with the traditional image of older people isolated from technology."

The survey, conducted by the Comprehensive Services Association for Active Aging (SIENA) between April and June 2019, focused on new generations of older people pushing others toward use. of new technologies — some have learned them at work — and the digital age gap "is getting narrower."

As explained in a report prepared by VidaCaixa and Obra Social “la Caixa”, Spanish retirees have an average of 3 electronic devices: three out of four have a computer, 70% have a smartphone and 45% have a tablet .

It looks like the digital divide is starting to disappear. The Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) also published a study in which it was stated that people over the age of 45 are already on the Internet. This change of habit will make the gap between grandparents and grandchildren disappear in the next generations. In the coming years, the two generations will speak the same language when it comes to technology.

While new technologies have many benefits for seniors, many seniors feel alienated. This feeling generates a digital divide that is important that we reduce.

If we follow the Web Accessibility Guidelines 2.1, we will make content and web browsing more accessible to everyone, including the elderly, who see their abilities diminished. These people may lose their sight, hearing, motor skills, and so on. and therefore it is necessary to ensure that they can access digital products without exclusion.

At TOTHOMweb we can help you make your website more accessible so that all groups, including the elderly and people with disabilities, can access it.