An analysis of the issues that seniors face with technology

1. The
Digital
Divide
Seniors
Face
By:
Kristen
Lazaris
CC0:
Becca
Clark,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/turntable-­‐top-­‐view-­‐audio-­‐equipment-­‐1109588/

2. “Technology
is
advancing
at
an
exponenOal
pace”
[1]
CC0:
Gerd
Altmann
,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/here-­‐and-­‐now-­‐tablet-­‐blue-­‐computer-­‐413091/

3. CC0:
Stale
Freyer,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/casse@e-­‐obsolete-­‐chaos-­‐audio-­‐994272/
A
so-­‐called
“digital
divide”
is
being
created
by
seniors
65+
who
are
struggling
to
access
and
use
digital
devices.
They
are
being
labeled
as
[2]:

4. Seniors
65+
feel
as
though
they
are
being
le[
disconnected
from
the
world,
since
they
are
not
constantly
surrounded
by
technology
like
today’s
youth
[3]
CC0:
Rawpixel,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/alphabets-­‐ancient-­‐author-­‐data-­‐2306479/

5. Technology
needs
to
become
more
senior-­‐
friendly
in
order
for
them
to
learn
how
to
use
it
[4]
CC0:
Tero,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/quesOon-­‐mark-­‐why-­‐problem-­‐soluOon-­‐2123967/

6. Technology
does
not
seem
"relevant"
to
seniors,
so
they
do
not
feel
the
need
to
learn
or
embrace
it
[5]
CC0:
Photorame,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/books-­‐reading-­‐knowledge-­‐read-­‐study-­‐2337525/

7. CC0:
Pexels,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/bubbles-­‐ocean-­‐sea-­‐underwater-­‐water-­‐1836457/
Underlying
Factors
GeneraOonal
Effects
CogniOve
Decline
NegaOve
Actude
Towards
Technology

8. The
brain
can
get
confused
when
reading
off
a
device,
as
that
is
a
nonlinear
way
of
displaying
informaOon
[6]
CC0:
Pete
Linforth,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/brain-­‐blueprint-­‐thinking-­‐analysis-­‐1845941/

9. Seniors
enjoy
tablets
and
e-­‐
readers,
as
they
are
more
user
friendly
and
assist
where
reading
is
difficult
[6]
CC0:
xxolgaxx,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/kindle-­‐paper-­‐white-­‐book-­‐device-­‐785695/

10. Impairments[8]
Handicap
that
prevents
full
parOcipaOon
in
certain
aspects
of
life
CondiOons
that
make
reading
difficult
CC0:
Paul
Brennan,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/handicap-­‐parking-­‐sign-­‐painted-­‐2328893/

11. For
people
65+,
technology
is
becoming
much
more
common,
but
they
don’t
feel
as
though
they
are
capable
of
learning
to
use
technology
on
their
own
[9]
CC0:
1681551,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/desk-­‐blank-­‐wood-­‐laptop-­‐1220053/

12. Over
the
last
15
years
the
amount
of
seniors
online
has
dramaOcally
increased
[8]
CC0:
Patrick
Neufelder,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/overcoming-­‐stone-­‐roll-­‐slide-­‐strong-­‐2127669/

13. 35% of
seniors
65+
are
currently
online
[10]
CC0:
Gerd
Alatmann,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/finger-­‐touch-­‐hand-­‐structure-­‐769300/

14. 7
in
10
seniors
own
a
cellphone
[7]
CC0:
Open
ClipArt-­‐Vectors,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/adult-­‐age-­‐baby-­‐child-­‐death-­‐human-­‐2028245/

15. 90%
of
seniors
65+
use
the
internet
only
for
email
[11]
CC0:
Open
Clipart-­‐Vectors,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/envelope-­‐mail-­‐white-­‐email-­‐open-­‐150686/

16. Only
10%
of
seniors
watch
videos
online
compared
to
the
80%
of
youth
[12]
CC0:
Rudy
and
Peter
Ski@erians,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/film-­‐movie-­‐cinema-­‐reel-­‐retro-­‐2233661/

17. Seniors
who
are
more
highly
educated,
have
a
higher
income,
and
are
on
the
younger
end
of
the
65+
range
use
the
internet
almost
as
much
as
the
general
populaOon
[8]
CC0:
Gerd
Altmann,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/dollar-­‐currency-­‐money-­‐us-­‐dollar-­‐499481/

18. With
seniors
going
online,
it
allows
them
to
connect
with
friends,
family,
and
strangers
around
the
world
CC0:
Gerd
Altmann,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/conOnents-­‐earth-­‐globe-­‐global-­‐695162/

19. They
can
learn
about
what’s
going
on
in
the
world
by
the
click
of
a
bu@on
and
can
stay
up
to
date
on
all
the
latest
news
CC0:
Open
Icons,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/update-­‐internet-­‐network-­‐so[ware-­‐97888/

20. TECHNOLOGY IS
THE FUTURE
CC0:
Adrian,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/future-­‐space-­‐technology-­‐planet-­‐956144/

21. [1]
Flanagan,
K.
(2013,
December
17).
Okay,
Dad,
what
does
the
bunny
do?:
Teaching
a
parent
to
text
is
like
coaching
a
toddler
to
read
and
Oe
his
laces.
The
shoe
is
on
the
other
foot
now.
Retrieved
May
10,
2017,
from
h@ps://search-­‐proquest-­‐com.proxy.queensu.ca/docview/1811445932/fulltextPDF/9B90FB54476D4199PQ/
1?accounOd=6180
[2]
Wu,
Y.
(2015,
January
9).
Bridging
the
Digital
Divide
in
Older
Adults.
Retrieved
May
10,
2017,
from
h@ps://www-­‐ncbi-­‐nlm-­‐nih-­‐gov.proxy.queensu.ca/pmc/arOcles/PMC4296914/
[3]
Pew
Research
Center.
(2014,
April
3).
Older
Adults
and
Technology
Use.
Retrieved
May
10,
2017,
from
h@p://www.pewinternet.org/files/2014/04/PIP_Seniors-­‐and-­‐Tech-­‐Use_040314.pdf
[4]
Matrix,
S.
(Director).
(2017,
May
1).
Lecture:
Digital
Literacies
[Video
file].
Retrieved
May
10,
2017,
from
h@ps://onq.queensu.ca/d2l/le/content/117252/viewContent/934037/View
[5]
Matrix,
S.
(2017,
May
1).
Module
01
Slides.
Retrieved
May
10,
2017,
from
h@ps://onq.queensu.ca/d2l/le/content/117252/viewContent/934060/View
[6]
Rosenwald,
M.
(2014,
April
6).
Serious
Reading
Takes
a
Hit
from
Online
Scanning
and
Skimming,
Researchers
Say.
Retrieved
May
10,
2017,
from
h@p://go.galegroup.com.proxy.queensu.ca/ps/i.do?
id=GALE%7CA364033903&v=2.1&u=queensulaw&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&authCount=1
[7]
Zickhur,
K.
(2012,
June
6).
Older
Adults
and
Internet
Use.
Retrieved
May
10,
2017,
from
h@p://www.pewinternet.org/2012/06/06/main-­‐report-­‐15/
CC0:
Engin
Akyurt,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/cloud-­‐light-­‐landscape-­‐reverse-­‐light-­‐2314091/
References

22. References
[8]
Smith,
A.
(2014,
April
3).
Older
Adults
and
Technology
Use.
Retrieved
May
10,
2017,
from
h@p://www.pewinternet.org/2014/04/03/older-­‐adults-­‐and-­‐technology-­‐use/
[9]
Weston,
M.
(2014,
April
18).
Is
There
A
Digital
Divide
Among
Seniors?
Retrieved
May
10,
2017,
from
h@ps://asourparentsage.net/2014/04/18/is-­‐there-­‐a-­‐digital-­‐divide-­‐among-­‐seniors/
[10]
Milligan,
C.,
&
Passey,
D.
(2011,
October).
Aging
and
The
Use
of
The
Internet.
Retrieved
May
10,
2017,
from
h@ps://www.nomine@rust.org.uk/sites/default/files/NT%20SoA%20-­‐%20Ageing%20and%20the%20use
%20of%20the%20internet_0.pdf
[11]
Veenhof,
B.,
&
Timusk,
P.
(2014,
April
23).
Online
AcOviOes
of
Canadian
Boomers
and
Seniors.
Retrieved
May
11,
2017,
from
h@p://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-­‐008-­‐x/2009002/arOcle/10910-­‐eng.htm#a1
[12]
McKinnon,
M.
(2013,
February
13).
Internet
Mistrust
Causes
eGeneraOon
Gap:
Canadian
Seniors
vs
Youth
.
Retrieved
June
3,
2017,
from
h@p://canadiansinternet.com/internet-­‐mistrust-­‐causes-­‐egeneraOon-­‐gap-­‐between-­‐canadian-­‐seniors-­‐and-­‐
youth-­‐staOsOcs/
CC0:
Engin
Akyurt,
retrieved
from:
h@ps://pixabay.com/en/cloud-­‐light-­‐landscape-­‐reverse-­‐light-­‐2314091/