Slow migration of US seniors to internet
The Pew Research Centre report showed that 59% of US adults age 65 or older use the internet - up six percentage points from a year ago.
And 47% have a high-speed broadband connection at home.
The research found that 41% do not use the internet at all, and 53% lack high-speed connectivity. For the overall US population, Pew estimates 86% use the internet.
"We've been reporting on technology use among older adults for more than a decade, but this particular study is unique because it was based on a large survey that allows us to look at seniors in a more detailed way than we have in the past," researcher Aaron Smith said.
"Although technology use among older adults overall remains low, there is actually quite a bit of diversity within the senior population," he said.
Under 70s more connected
Smith said the research showed that the relatively young group, those under 70, who affluent, and highly educated are actually quite connected.
"These seniors own a fair number of technology assets, have integrated the internet into their daily lives, and have positive attitudes towards online life," he added.
Some 74% of those in the 65 to 69 age group used the internet, and two-thirds of them said they had a high-speed connection.
But the percentage going online drops to 37% for those over 80, the survey found.
Among seniors with an annual household income of US$75,000 or more, 90% go online; and 87% of those with a college degree use the internet.
Pew said many seniors have physical conditions or health issues that make it difficult to use new technologies. Others find the technology challenging and some are skeptical about its benefits.
Comfortable with technology
In the survey, just one-sixth of the older adults said they would feel comfortable learning to use a new technology device such as a smartphone or tablet on their own, while 77% would prefer someone to walk them through the process.
But when they get online, most seniors keep using the internet. Among internet-adopting seniors, 71% are online every day or almost every day.
In terms of other technology usage, 77% of US seniors said they had a mobile phone, but just 18% had a smartphone.
Pew found that 27% percent of seniors said they had a tablet or e-reader.
The study also found 27% of older adults use social networking sites such as Facebook, but these users were quite active: some 81% of the respondents who use social networking sites say that they socialise with others either in person, online, or over the telephone on a daily or near-daily basis.
The researchers said services like Facebook were helping maintain social connections in a population with limited mobility.
Still, the percentage of seniors using social networks lagged the 63% of the general population.
The report is based on a survey of 6,010 adults including 1,526 over 65, taken between July and September last year.
Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge
