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Senior Citizens & the Internet

Aired December 4 and 5, 1999

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This is Internet On The Air. I'm Joan Silvi. Senior citizens on the Web. Details in a moment.

Funding Credit: Internet On The Air is a production of the University of Michigan School of Information and Michigan radio, made possible by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Although many senior citizens are taking advantage of the Web, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology claim that the Internet has not lived up to its potential for elderly users. Professor Wendy Rogers directs research on ways to make computer interfaces easier for the elderly to use. The project also looks at how to best provide the training and education that is needed to get seniors online.

Research shows that elderly users are more likely to get lost in complex Web sites. Rogers urges Web site developers to use less busy layouts, with more clear and consistent linking options for senior viewers. Elderly users often worry about 'breaking' the system whereas younger people seem more willing to experiment. This might be the result of seniors' experiences with early computer systems, which were more likely to break as a result of user mistakes.

So what kinds of Web sites are seniors visiting? According to Rogers, Web-based support communities, travel agents, and genealogical societies are three of the most popular cyber-destinations. Great potential also exists for Web applications such as online drugstores that mail prescriptions to your door. Electronic means of support such as these may help elderly people live more independently.

Want to help your aging parents get online? The experts recommend well-structured classes with hands-on experience rather than online help systems. With the proper education and training, grandparents can be e-mailing their grandchildren in no time.

To learn more about research on seniors and the Web as well as online resources for seniors, visit our Web site at www.iota.org. For Internet On The Air, I'm Joan Silvi.

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Related Links

For further information, try these Web sites:

• Wendy Rogers researches human factors and aging at the Georgia Institute of Technology's School of Psychology. Their latest project is the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE).
  
  
• The nonprofit SeniorNet provides adults 50+ access to and education about computer technology and the Internet to enhance their lives and enable them to share their knowledge and wisdom.
  
  
• AARP, the American Association for Retired People, serves people age 50 and older through a network of local chapters and experience volunteers. Their Web site offers instructive, interesting, and helpful information, such as links for links for holiday help online and tips for avoiding telemarketing fraud.
  
  
• Looking for information about older users on the Web? You'll find online resources from useful sites for new users to help for Web site development, as well as links to other useful information, at the Administration on Aging's Internet Development for the Aging Network.
  
  
• There are many information resources on the Internet that specifically target older people, like this list of Web health resources for seniors: healthfinder - seniors
  
  
• Interested in genealogy? Check out IOTA's Genealogy show from last season and browse the links to genealogy resources on the Web.

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The Interview

IOTA interviewed Wendy Rogers in November 1999.

Is the Internet unfriendly to senior citizens

In your research, what sorts of problems do you find elderly people have using technology?

What are your recommendations for Web designers who want to make their sites elder-friendly?

You also study training as solutions to problems of elderly technology users. What are your recommendations for this?

General recommendations for training.

Value of structured training.

Overcoming fear of making mistakes.

Problem of evaluating credibility.

What do you say to seniors who aren’t sure why they would want to use the Internet?

What would you like to see available for seniors on the Internet?

Tell me about your new research center at Georgia Tech.

How did you get interested in this topic?

Please direct questions or comments to iota.webmaster@umich.edu.

Last Updated November 29, 1999