lit review presentation

1. How Can Communication Media be
Altered for Aging Adults
A Literature Review Presentation
COMM 385-01 Media Relations
Metropolitan State University
Allyson Linden

2. Aging Adults and Communication
Media
 The current generations of elders along with
previous generations of the aged population are
considered to be heavy users of traditional
“classical” media products, such as television and
radio.
 “Regarding the possession and usage of media
technology in the households, elderly (in this case
50+) significantly own fewer up-to-date
information, communication and entertainment
products such as widescreen TV sets, MP3
players, or computer technology and broadband
internet (ACTA 2007).” (Dogruel, 2010)

3. Factors to Consider
 Internet mediums are becoming more popular
 Today’s aging adults (typically considered age
55+) are not familiar with new technology
 It takes longer for aging adults to learn new
technologies

4. Tomorrow’s Generation of Elders
 Tomorrow’s elders with disabilities will differ
considerably from their predecessors in their use
of wireless technologies, including how frequently
they use them.
 In a 2003 study of 665 people with disabilities,
51% of those aged 40-59 years said they used
their cell phone every day, while 35% of those 60
or older said that they used their mobile phone
only for emergency situations (Mann et. al.
2004).” (Jones, 2010)

5. The Controversy- Background
 Psychomotor functioning decreases with age
from several possible different conditions. This
can make finger movement on a keyboard,
gripping a stylus, moving the wrist to manipulate
a pointing device and more gross movement such
as reaching for a pointing device, or moving a
light pen across a monitor with subsequently
related elbow and shoulder movement more
difficult. (Holley, 2004)
 “The number of older adults in the United States
with arthritis or chronic joint symptoms is
expected to reach 41 million by 2030.” (Holley,
2004)

6. The Controversy- Question
 The struggle is in trying to find out if new
technology really will continue to be popular with
baby boomers or if they will encounter the same
challenges as their elder predecessors that
strongly impacted their abilities to use technology.
 Will medicine and technology advance together in
a way that will prevent aging adults from being
limited in their abilities to use technology?

7. Conflicting Research
 “Many studies have found that the elderly tend to
use mass media, especially newspapers and TV,
to a larger degree than younger groups”
 Older people choose media based on the value of
information and not entertainment.
 This supports newspapers as the top media source
for elders
 There is also still a belief that television might be
replacing newspapers for elders

8. Altering Visual Media
 Add a visual interface to use larger type fonts with
higher contrast ratios; most computer operating
systems already have this kind of technology.
 Seniors experience reduced color sensitivity in
the range of violets, blues and greens. (Holley,
2004) Avoid using these colors.

9. Altering Audio Media
 When focusing on a senior population research
shows that “Using sounds in the, 5 to 4 kilohertz
range (Willot, 1991) and sounding tones at
relatively loud decibel levels should help.” (Holley,
2004)
 If speech sounds are used in an interface,
maintaining mid-frequencies will help the
comprehension of older adults. Rate of speech
and background noise has a differential effect on
older as compared to younger adults.

10. Tips for Altering the Design of
different Media sources
 Break information into short sections
 Minimize the use of jargon and technical terms
 Use 12- or 14-point type size, and make it easy
for users to enlarge text
 Use high-contrast color combinations
 Such as black type against a white background
 Provide a speech function to hear text read aloud

11. Tips for Altering Design
Continued
 Provide text-only versions of multimedia content
 Minimize scrolling
 Make it clear how the information on the website
is organized
 Keep the website structure simple and
straightforward
 Group related topics visually
 Write a clear, informative heading for each
section

12. Tips for Altering Content for Elder
Audiences
 Limit the number of points you make
 Put the key message first
 Keep paragraphs and sentences short
 Write in the active voice
 Write in the positive
 Be direct
 Give specific instructions
 If the instructions have more than one step,
number them

13. Tips for Altering Content
Continued
 Address your web users by using “you”
 Choose words your web users know
 Define unfamiliar terms
 Provide summary information
 Avoid using italics
 Put all text in uppercase and lowercase letters;
never use all capitals.

14. So What?
 How do aging adults use the internet and where
exactly do they get their information?
 Where will the aging adults of tomorrow get their
information?
 Will they become accustomed to social media
and follow news on Twitter or Facebook?
 Let’s be honest Facebook is not exactly user-
friendly for seniors but could we get them there?