YouTube Conference presentation – September 2016, Middlesex University Popular stories in the media speak enthusiastically of the rise of teenage vloggers, who use the medium of YouTube to express themselves. However, in the United Kingdom, the retired population is rising and statistics show that growing numbers are using digital technology and the internet for more than search functions and buying goods online. Indeed, a small number are creating and sharing self-created content on platforms such as YouTube. This is a section of society often ignored in qualitative internet research. This paper case studies the retired vblogger, Peter Oakley, who was interviewed as part of a wider examination into how retirees create and share content on the internet.

1. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
YouTube Conference
23rd September 2016
Tim Riley
Middlesex University
“Hello, YouTubers”
Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created
content and online sharing in retirement.

2. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
Background
• UK population is ageing
• Set to continue as ‘baby boomers’ reach retirement
• Living alone
• Lack of mobility
• Issues of care

3. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
Office for National Statistics (2012) Chapter 4: Mortality, 2010-based NPP Reference Volume
Background

4. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
Office for National Statistics (2012) Chapter 4: Mortality, 2010-based NPP Reference Volume
Background

5. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
+65 digital proficiency
Terms such as ‘’digital natives’ (Prensky) and ‘net generation’ (Tapscott)
appear too simplistic and ignore the diversity of all internet users
An oversimplified perception and polarised view of this age
range has emerged.
(Gorard and Selwyn)
Either:
A ‘silver surfer’ as an older ‘tech-savvy’ web user
(Martin)
or
A fearful, reticent nonuser - ‘digitally dismissive’
(Morris and Brading)
Prensky, M. (2001), Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants.
Tapscott, D. (1999), Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation
Tapscott, D. (2008), Grown Up Digital
Gorard, S. & Selwyn, N. (2008), The Myth of the Silver Surfer. Adults Learning, 19:5, pp. 28–30.
Martin, N. (2007), Silver surfers take over the internet. Telegraph Media Group Limited
Morris, A. & Brading, H. (2007), E-literacy and the grey digital divide: a review with recommendations. Journal of Information Literacy, 1:3.

6. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
+65 digital proficiency
Raban and Brynin argue that:
“aging is not a one-dimensional process [and] it would be
wrong to assume that only the young have learning curves,
even if they move along these curves faster”
“a large proportion of older people are ready to adopt new
technologies and have positive attitudes towards technology”
Raban, Y. & Brynin, M. (2006), Older People and New Technologies. In: Kraut, R., Brynin, M. & Kiesler, S. (eds.) Computers, Phones, and the Internet. New York: Oxford University Press.

7. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
Key areas of focus
1. Vernacular/everyday creativity (outside a professional
framework)
2. Acquiring skills and knowledge of digital domain
(re-education).
3. Self-created content.
4. Sharing self-created content.

8. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
2016 UK Survey Statistics
Source: Office for National Statistics – Internet access – households and individuals: 2016, Internet activities by age group, 2016

9. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
Methodology
Age bands of this study
+65 (retired)
Sample
12 participants
already engaged in digital content creation and sharing
Qualitative methods
Interviews: face-to-face, semi-structured, open-ended and conversational

10. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
Definition
Content creation in the context of this research is defined as:
An arrangement of visual and/or audio material that
requires some element of composition or editing that
has been created outside of a professional framework.
Digital text is not included in this definition, other than its association to the visual and/or audio
content. The inclusion of digital text would make analysis of content too broad.

11. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
Case study
www.youtube.com/user/geriatric1927
Peter Oakley – geriatric1927 – “internet grandad”
• worked in the motorcycle trade.
• entered further and higher education after retirement
• reignited his interest in art
• Foundation Art course, followed by Fine Art degree in 1990s
• Self-taught content creation skills
• Introduced to YouTube through a friend

12. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
geriatric1927
www.youtube.com/user/geriatric1927
First video –
August 4th 2006

13. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
50,551 subscribers
9,901,921 video views
434 videos
geriatric1927

14. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
YouTube channel is a record of his life through historical
personal vernacular narratives.
“All of my early videos told stories, little anecdotes about my life
as a child in World War Two. It would seem that young people
love to hear about it. They were little bits of history that aren’t
written in the books. They are the most popular thing I’ve done.”
geriatric1927

15. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
His YouTube videos provide a different take on the concept
of digital storytelling.
• essentially unrehearsed, self-representational stories
• unscripted
• camera static
• dialogue pieces
• minimal or no editing.
geriatric1927

16. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
A virtual manifestation or substitute for a close relative to his
followers and subscribers.
“I have been adopted as the ‘Internet Grandad’. They see me
as an old person with a calm attitude and I remind them of
either their parents or their grandparents who may have died or
never had good relationship with them.”
geriatric1927

17. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
Posted his final video on 12th February 2014
Peter passed away on 23rd March 2014.
His last video has been viewed over 50,000 times.
geriatric1927

18. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
geriatric1927– posthumous
Sourced: 9th September 2016

19. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
+65 Re-education
All were involved in some form of post-retirement re-education.
• acquire skills necessary to rediscover and/or explore
vernacular creative practices.
(constrained work, family life or being discouraged at an early age by family
members or institutions)
• For some, introduction to the digital domain was an
unintended consequence of education.
(where introduction to digital technology or software was necessary for successful
completion and progression on the hobby/course.)

20. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
Sharing content
• Ability to connect with niche online communities
(both location and non-location based)
• Receive and give feedback
(which helps build creative self-confidence).
• Learning through social interaction
(both online and offline)
• Helped combat loneliness through sharing and communication.

21. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
Sheila:
“I’m retired. I live on my own [but] I just feel closer to
people and I don’t feel alone.”
June:
“I am less alone and I can share what I create and I can
discover others work and they can discover me and I can
pass it on.”
Content sharing

22. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
“I think it’s absolutely wonderful because, through YouTube,
I have made many, many genuinely nice friends.”
geriatric1927

23. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
Conclusion
• Display neither a model of tech-savvy ‘silver surfer’ or ‘digital
dismissive’
• Recognition of the diversity of knowledge of over 65s – career
experiences, hobbies, access to technologies and education.
• Value of sharing self-created content.
• Encourages less phatic communication due to discussions and
conversations about content and practice.
• May help combat issues of issues of loneliness, social and
physical isolation, and lack of mobility as number of retired
citizens increases.

24. Tim Riley – University of Westminster – Self-created digital content sharing in retirement
Tim Riley – Middlesex University – “Hello, YouTubers”: Geriatric1927 and the deployment of self-created content and online sharing in retirement.
tim@timrileydigital.com
@timfrantic
Thank you