American Society on Aging
71 Stevenson St., Suite 1450
San Francisco, CA 94105-2938
www.asaging.org
info@asaging.org
GETTING ELDERS WIRED: PROGRESS REPORT
ON EUROPE AND THE U.S.
Older adults in both Europe and the United States are a potentially enormous market for computer technology. The potential is fueled by a number of factors, including the unprecedented growth of the older population, broader access to user-friendly technology and changing attitudes among elders and their adult children about the valuable role such technologies can play in their lives. With well-planned strategies, corporations can enter this growing market, increase personal computer (PC) sales and develop new products and services for this age group.
Age demographics are undergoing significant changes in the United States and in the European Union (EU) countries--Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. At present, almost 76 million Americans (27% of the population) are over age 50, and 104 million residents of EU countries (28% of the combined population) are age 55 or more. They constitute a heterogeneous group whose different economic, social and cultural backgrounds must be taken into consideration.
EUROBAROMETER
Home and leisure PC use among adults age 55 or older is relatively low in Europe, according to "Eurobarometer 1997," a survey conducted by the Brussels-based European Commission to gauge EU citizens' views on public access to the Internet and other facets of the information society. In Germany, for example, 11.4% of older adults use computers; in France, the figure is 7.5%. Those ages 55 and older represent 11% of Internet users in the United Kingdom and 5% in the Netherlands.
By contrast, 30% of Americans age 50 or more own and use a PC, according to a recent study by Microsoft and the American Society on Aging (see Aging Today, May/June 1999, at www.asag ing.org). This study also found that ownership drops dramatically with increasing age: Only 16% of those ages 70-73;79 own and use a computer. According to a 1998 SeniorNetCharles Schwab study, 16.5% of the total online population in the United States is over 50.
Research in 1998 99 reveals several barriers corporations must overcome if they wish to expand PC use by older adults in North America and Europe. These include lack of awareness (older adults do not see how using PCs will benefit them); lack of confidence (older adults often fear new technology); lack of trust in the value and integrity of Internet resources; and a lack of equipment designed to meet older adults' needs. Gender also creates challenges in bringing women into the market: Older men are statistically more affluent, better educated and more interested in information technology (IT) than their female counterparts.
These and other findings appear in "The Final Project Report: Recommendations for Policy Makers, NGOs [Nongovernmental Organizations] and Industry," published by The Older Generation and Access to the European Information Society: Access to the Information Society. This project was a joint activity of the European Institute for the Media, Düsseldorf, Germany, and Netherlands Platform for Older People and Europe, Utrecht. (The report, also available in Spanish and Dutch, and two related publications from the project are accessible at www.eim.de/old/index.htm.)
Other limitations on PC use are particularly present in the EU. Significant language barriers arise in countries other than England, since the majority of Internet services and general computer jargon are in English. The cost of equipment and Internet access have been identified as another principal barrier: In many European countries, elders living on state pensions are classified as one of the lowest-income groups. At the same time, European countries also are home to a large group of well-off older people who can afford to purchase equipment and pay for Internet access.
STRATEGIES
A number of strategies will be required to bring more older adults into the PC marketplace. PC training is vital for those who have had no contact with computers in the workplace or at home. Offering training and real-life experience with computers and the Internet is one of the most successful means through which businesses can help expand this market. Working with nonprofit organizations and government agencies is an excellent way for corporations to learn about the needs of older adults and to develop products and services of interest to this age group. The worldwide Microsoft Seniors and Technology program is an example of best practice in this area. It has donated large amounts of software and cash to aging-related nonprofits and has been very successful in promoting PC literacy among elders. (More information on the program is available on the Web at www.microsoft.com/seniors.)
In general, computer services and computers aimed at older adults should be affordable. Elders are willing to pay for a service if they feel that it is essential and will improve their quality of life. Before they will purchase information technology, therefore, they need to be better informed of its benefits. Strategies to increase PC sales among older adults include offering a special package with home delivery and installation or a special discount. Another possibility for computer retailers is to offer older adults individual appointments so that they can learn about PCs in a more inviting and personalized setting.
For Internet services, tailoring content and design to meet older adults' needs would be another way to increase the number of elders in the IT market. The most popular online services for older Americans are those offering information on Medicare, pensions, Social Security, employment, retirement, housing, insurance, travel and shopping. One reason that Internet use is low among older adults in Europe is that few services address their concerns.
More research--starting in the initial phases of designing hardware and software-- must be carried out regarding the computer needs of older adults to make it easier and more enjoyable for them to use information technology. For example, new to Microsoft's Windows 98 is the Accessibility Wizard, a feature that magnifies fonts up to nine times, making the screen more readable for older users with vision impairments. In addition, the most effective training courses for older individuals take their backgrounds, learning speeds and social contexts into account. Nonprofit and community organizations that provide PC training or access should be encouraged to open their doors to people of all ages to promote computer literacy among older adults. To increase Internet use by elders, the industry should further examine offering access via TV as an alternative to computer ownership.
Commercial websites targeting the 45-plus age group in the United States appear to be very successful. This is an area that could be developed in Europe in the future. At present, the sheer number of English speakers in North America makes it more feasible for businesses to address age groups separately, whereas in Europe the wide range of smaller language and cultural groupings presents challenges for such niche marketing. Businesses will have to find ways to overcome that and related barriers to help older people reap the benefits of the latest technology and to profit from the resulting growth of the market.
Rosemarie Gilligan is a researcher at the European Institute for the Media, Düsseldorf, Germany. An earlier version of this article appeared in the Business and Aging Networker (Summer 1999), newsletter of the American Society on Aging's Business Forum on Aging.
American Society on Aging
71 Stevenson St., Suite 1450
San Francisco, CA 94105-2938
www.asaging.org
info@asaging.org