Mapping Elderly Citizen’s Computer and ICT Use in a Small-sized
Norwegian Municipality
Elin Thygesen, Ragni MacQueen Leifson and Santiago Martinez
Faculty of Health and Sport Science, Centre of eHealth and Healthcare Technology, University of Ager, Grimstad, Norway
Keywords: Elderly Users, Computer Use, Internet Use, Norwegian Municipality.
Abstract: In Norway, many citizens’ services are exclusively or at least delivered online. They usually require
sufficient knowledge to use information and communication technologies (ICT). As part of an Interreg IV
European project focused on e-inclusion for elderly, this work presents a study to map computer and
Internet use among the elderly. The study was carried out in a small municipality of 10 000 inhabitants in
Southern Norway, of whom15% were 65-year-olds or older. 178 replies out of 500 were obtained. Results
showed that 9 out of 10 had access to and frequently used a computer at home. However, there still was 1
out of 5 who did not make effective use of ICT. Importantly, half of the respondents reported to have
learned how to use the Internet through attending specific courses and others through guidance from
relatives or acquaintances. Answers about monitoring technologies were practically oriented towards
considering that topics, such as security and privacy, could have a subordinate role if the technology was
used for a good and fair purpose. This work provides an insight into the current access to and use of
computer and Internet, which becomes useful to inform ICT use policies among elderly population.
1 INTRODUCTION
Information and communication technology (ICT)
plays a significant role in people’s lives, being a
central part in a wide range of activities such as
leisure and entertainment, communication and social
interaction, health and wellbeing; being all of them
contributing factors for an inclusive participation in
the society. More types and number of tasks that a
person daily carries out, related with work,
bureaucracy or personal matters, are increasingly
done online. This results in a substantial demand for
digital skills from citizens to be able to fully
participate and be integrated in their society.
Access to information is crucial for an
independent living, without which it would be
unfeasible to prevent social exclusion. In this
context, the use of ICT is seen as a necessary
precondition for participation in the community.
This means that the access to more services, such as
banking or public information, often relies on the
use of ICT.
The importance of digital competence is
recognized by the European Parliament and the
European Council, identifying digital competence as
one of eight key competences for all individuals in a
knowledge-based society (EU, About our goals,
2014). According to EU, digital competence
involves:
[…] the confident and critical use of
information society technology (IST) for work,
leisure, learning and communication. It is
underpinned by basic skills in ICT: the use of
computers to retrieve, access, store, produce,
present and exchange information, and to
communicate and participate in collaborative
networks via the Internet
(EU, Measuring Digital
Skills across the EU, 2014, p. 3).
In 2013, 72% of EU population used the Internet
weekly, whereas 62% used the Internet with a daily
frequency. Among “disadvantaged people” (e.g.,
older people, low-educated or economically
disadvantaged people), 57% used the Internet
weekly. However, still 20% of them have never used
the Internet (EU, Digital Agenda Scoreboard, 2014).
According to the Europe 2020 initiative called
Digital Agenda Europe (DAE), to increase ICT use
is necessary to make a real difference in the future
society. Hence, empowering citizen’s digital
competence is one of the prioritized initiatives in the
Europe 2020 strategy (EU, About our goals, 2014).
One of 13 specific goals to encapsulate this change
131
Thygesen E., MacQueen Leifson R. and Martinez S..
Mapping Elderly Citizen’s Computer and ICT Use in a Small-sized Norwegian Municipality .
DOI: 10.5220/0005222801310142
In Proceedings of the International Conference on Health Informatics (HEALTHINF-2015), pages 131-142
ISBN: 978-989-758-068-0
Copyright
c
2015 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)
is to increase the regular Internet usage among
European citizens up to 75% and to decrease the
population that has never used the Internet to 15%
by 2015 (EU, About our goals, 2014). In this
context, Norway is among the countries in Europe
with the highest rate of inhabitants who use the
Internet, with 93% using it regularly (EU, Digital
Agenda Scoreboard, 2013). Although there is a
relatively small proportion of the population who
are completely inexperienced with the use of ICT,
17% of the population have little experience with the
use of computers and the Internet and are placed in
the category of "weak users" (VOX, 2011).
There is a clear correlation between age,
education and digital literacy. Young people are
more likely to use ICT than elderly people. Yet, at
the same time, in the oldest group there also is a
clear division between users and non-users, where
people with higher education have higher digital
literacy than those with low education (VOX, 2011).
In this context, the conceptions as “digital divide”,
“information haves” and “information have-nots”
have often been used (Norris, 2001; Räsänen 2008).
For older people, the use of ICT can make a
significant contribution to their quality of life and
sense of empowerment by positively influencing
their interpersonal interactions, promoting their
cognitive functioning and contributing to their
experience of control and independence (Shapira et
al., 2007; Cotton et al., 2012). In addition, the use of
ICT can help to establish or maintain social network
despite health deterioration. However, there is
evidence of barriers in ICT use for inexperienced
users such as lack of interest, motivation or
knowledge (Wagner et al., 2010).
The differences in the population about digital
literacy represent a challenge in a society where the
demand of ICT use is continuously growing.
Therefore, it is essential that all age segments in the
population have a sufficient digital literacy level to
overcome the existing digital barriers that could
potentially exclude them from the society. This
insight will be important to find adequate measures
to increase competence within disadvantaged
groups, such as older people (VOX, 2011).
In order to implement adequate measures to
strengthen the elderly’s use of ICT, it is necessary to
have updated information about the elderly’s access
to computers, their Internet habits and what
motivates their use, or non-use, of ICT. However,
although the proportion of users of ICT decreases
with increasing age, it is noticeable that there are
some elderly people who are still active users of the
web and enjoy doing it. Input from this group about
what motivates them can also provide valuable
information on how ICT contributes to their lives.
The overall aim of this study was to get an
insight into ICT use among elderly population,
establish what the motivational factors for such use
were, and specify their needs of increasing their
digital competence. The study had the following
research questions:
To what extent are Norwegian elderly
people users of computer and the Internet?
What motivates their use/non-use of the
Internet?
In what areas are there needs for training?
1.1 Project Background
The background of this study is the Interreg IVB
North Sea Region (NSR) project “iAge”, whose
main aim is to promote e-inclusion among European
areas in decline by promoting economic and social
e-inclusion. In the “iAge” project, partners from 6
European countries of the NSR cooperate and work
to transnationally develop new approaches in service
delivery and economic restructuring through joint
development of ICT innovation. This joint
implementation to increase the use of ICT among
the elderly population aims to keep them active and
facilitating their participation in social and work life.
The development of policies and strategies are built
around the end-users as part of the inclusive
approach.
"Grandma on the web" is the Norwegian
subproject of the EU project "iAge". “Grandma on
web” forms part of the “iAge’s” work package 4,
whose aim is to improve the regional development
through promoting use and accessibility of ICT in
relation to lifelong living and to identify and
evaluate educational strategies. It integrates an inter-
municipal cooperation between local municipalities
in the Southern region of Norway and the Centre of
eHealth and Healthcare Technology at the
University of Agder, also in Norway.
2 METHODS
2.1 Design
In this study, a sequential exploratory method was
chosen using both quantitative and qualitative
measures. A survey for mapping computer and
internet usage was designed for people of 65-year-
old or older. The questionnaire had 46 questions in
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total, where 31 were of single answer, 12 of multiple
answers and 3 open-ended answers. Specifically, the
survey gathered information about elderly’s
computer and internet usage. Among other factors
analysed were the reasons to get started, motivation
for use, and the need for training. In addition, to get
more in-depth knowledge about ICT use, 3 semi-
structured focus group interviews with informants
who had previously responded to the questionnaire
were conducted.
2.2 Selection of Sample and Data
Collection
The survey was distributed to a randomized and
stratified sample (in relation to gender and age) of
people over 65 years in a small municipality in
Southern Norway. The municipality has
approximate 10 000 inhabitants of whom 15% are
over 65 years old. A total of 500 individuals
received the questionnaire by ordinary mail. 178
people responded to the questionnaire, of which
60% were men and 40% women. About 45% were
aged 65 to 69 years, while only 12% (22 people)
were 80 years or older. Among the respondents, a
relatively high percentage had higher education and
good economic status. Over 80% lived with
someone else. Only 15% were still employed. See
Table 1.
In connection with the survey, participants got an
open invitation to participate in focus group
interviews conducted in the same municipality. 30
people provided their contact information and they
were sent an invitation from the municipality with
Table 1: Descriptions of the participants in the survey
(N=178).
Sociodemographic variables N (%)
Sex
No answer = 6
Male
103 (59.9%)
Female
69 (40.1%)
Age
No answer = 25
64 – 69
77 (45.3%)
70 - 79
54 (39.9%)
80 and older
22 (12.4%)
Education
No answer = 6
Low
83 (47.2%)
High
93 (52.8%)
Economic
situation
No answer = 9
Low income
52 (29.8%)
Medium income
65 (38.0%)
High income
55 (32.2%)
Housing
situation
No answer = 9
Living alone
29 (17.2%)
Living with
someone
140 (82.8%)
Still working
No answer = 1
Yes
26 (14.7%)
No
151 (85.3%)
the date and time for the interview. 10 people finally
participated, of whom six were male and four
female; ages between 65 and 86. All of them had
“some” or “a lot of experience” in ICT use. All
participants signed informed consent before
interviews started. The interview guide consisted of
13 open-ended questions, complemented by follow-
up questions when necessary. All interviews were
recorded and transcribed verbatim.
2.3 Data Analysis
Descriptive analyses of data from the survey were
conducted using the statistical software package
SPSS v19. The interviews were analysed and
interpreted according to Kvale’s (Kvale, 1997) three
levels of understanding: “self-understanding”, where
the interpreter formulates what the participant
understands to be the meaning of their
understanding; “critical common sense”, widening
the frame of understanding and going beyond the
previous participant’s self-understanding; and
“theoretical understanding”, where the results are
studied according to earlier research and actual
theory (Kvale, 1997; Strand et al., 2009). This
resulted in an analysis formed by three differentiated
steps. In the first step, the researchers condensed the
informants’ statements in meaningful units. In the
second step an initial, thematic framework was
presented. In the third step, a theoretical discussion
was conducted on the basis of the findings.
Interpretations from steps one and two are presented
in the results section, and the ones from step three in
the discussion section.
2.4 Ethical Considerations
The responses of the survey were anonymous. Prior
to each interview, all participants received written
and oral information about the project. Each
participant was informed about their data
confidentiality, that participation was voluntary and
that they had the right to withdraw at any time
without a reason. According to the Norwegian
regulations for ethical approval, the research project
was not required to be registered with the
Norwegian Research Ethics Committee (REK), but
was authorized in compliance with the privacy
protection of Norwegian Social Science Services
(NSD), reference number 33519.
3 RESULTS
The information gathered in the survey and the focus
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133
group interviews are presented together and
categorized in four groups: Access and use of ICT,
Attitudes towards use of ICT, Improvement of ICT-
skills and How to facilitate ICT-use among elderly
people.
3.1 Access and Use of ICT
3.1.1 Access
According to the answers of the survey, 160 people
(91%) had access to a computer, 99% of them at
home. 65% of those who had access to a computer
have had the computer for more than ten years,
while 14% had it for five years or less.
All participants in the focus group interviews
had a computer at home.
3.1.2 Use
In the survey, 80% of the participants reported
frequent computer use, with a weekly or daily
frequency, while 20% of them used the computer
either very infrequently or never. Those who
reported that they used computers were asked to
self-assess their competence in relation to others of
same age. The majority believed that they were as
good as others (60%), while 27% thought they were
better and 13% said they were worse than others.
All 10 informants who participated in the focus
group interviews were frequent users of computers
and the Internet, most of them using it daily.
According to the survey, a majority of those who
used the Internet regularly had extensive experience
with using online banking, email, sending
attachments, reading online newspapers, finding
phone numbers and addresses, and finding factual
information. There was more variation in experience
in other activities such as creating email account,
transferring pictures, booking tickets, writing,
editing and organizing files. Very few had
experience in installing programs, buying and selling
goods over the internet, using social networking
sites such as Facebook and Skype, genealogy, in
using games and entertainment applications and
watching movies or listening to music via the
Internet.
The focus group informants admitted that the
computer was used mainly for reading the news,
seeking basic information on a search engine,
writing or receiving mails or paying bills. Some of
them were advanced users and searched out in
specialized websites such as historical archives,
genealogy and cultural news. Only a few informants
had used health pages when searching for
information about own or close family’s illnesses.
One participant told: I was a bit obsessed with health
topics and I had to go further and update my
knowledge a little bit more. A few stated that they
were on the social network Facebook, but rather
reading instead of posting information, while several
said they were either not interested or that they were
sceptical of using it: I think that people should be
more aware that what they write there, it stays there
forever. One of them actively used the video
messaging software Skype. She said: My best
experience with it [Skype] is that it allows me to
have contact with people in South America. It works
great. A few respondents had only seen the
application Skype in action, but had not tried it on
their own. Some of them had learned simple
processing of images and purchases of goods and
services.
The majority of survey respondents reported that
they had learned to use the Internet through
attending courses (50%). In addition, many had been
trained through guidance from family, friends or
colleagues (37%). 13% of the participants stated that
they had self-learned its use. Among the 10
informants who participated in the focus group
interviews, some had learned through work, some by
attending courses, while others have learned by
means of family or by trying out themselves: I have
had to learn on my own and with my grandchildren.
17% of the respondents of the survey did not
ever use ICT. Half of them had access to computer
at home but other family members were the ones
who used the computer. Among the non-users, about
one third stated that they wanted to learn to use ICT.
3.1.3 Barriers
The respondents of the survey mentioned several
barriers on the way to become better users of the
ICT (questions with multiple answers). The most
common reasons given were: no need for further
training (23%), lack of interest (15%), the fact that
there were other people doing it for them (14%) and
that there was a poor offer of training courses in
their neighbourhood (11%).
Several of the informants from the focus group
interviews reported that they had had episodes of
difficulty using computers. Some of them lost their
work when the computer crashed: We may have a
tendency to press the buttons too much... especially
my wife is terrible at pressing them too much and
then they crash. Others respondents had never had
problems. When asked what they perceived as
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problematic, one person answered that he found the
terminology difficult to understand especially in the
error messages, which contained difficult words and
sentences: But then there are those cases when you
get some squares in the screen with some messages
with many very strange and unfamiliar words. The
same problem appeared when they asked for help.
Some of them said that there was a shift when they
became older. When they were still working, there
were always some colleagues available willing to
help, but when they retired they could not find
anybody available: Now you sit there alone and you
do not have anybody to communicate with. Several
respondents also experienced some problems
associated with updates of systems or websites,
making it difficult to adapt themselves to the new
design and functionalities. Suddenly, they change the
home-page and then you have to wonder... and it is
impossible to figure it out... because of some concept
that should be more readable, but I feel that it is
becoming less readable because of these new
changes.
Almost all the informants had children and
grandchildren who lived nearby and could be asked
for help: I have a son who is a computer engineer so
it is quite normal that he comes and fix things.
However, sometimes there is a downside: The
problem is that they do it so well but they cannot
explain to me the way I should handle with it and do
it in the same way as them. Some of them also had
partners that could help them, while some were self-
learners. A woman stated: I really believe in trial
and error, it is my preferred learning method. They
also told that the local bank provided support when
they had problems with online banking.
3.2 Attitudes towards Use of ICT
3.2.1 Motivation
The respondents of the survey were asked about the
main motivation for starting using the Internet. The
three main reasons given were: introduction to ICT
at work or in education situations, ordering goods
and planning trips, and need to get access to public
services. Furthermore, they were asked about what
was their main motivation to continue to use the
Internet today. 80% of them answered that the main
reason for using the Internet was that they believed
that it was necessary to feel included in the society,
while about 10% answered that social contact was
an important motivator. The last 10% of them
reported other different reasons. Both users and non-
users of ICT were asked whether they agreed or
disagreed with the statement “Using ICT is
necessary to participate in the society”. More than
80% of them agreed with the statement that it was
necessary.
3.2.2 Impact on Life
When respondents of the survey were asked if the
Internet affected their social life, answers where
slightly more in favour of affecting their social life
in a positive way (53%), while a little bit less of
them said it had no effect (44%). Only 3% of them
(four people) stated that the Internet affected their
social life in a negative way. They were also asked
whether using the Internet could affect their mental
health. Most of them stated that it did not affect their
mental health (72%), while 27% answered that the
Internet influenced their mental health in a positive
way. Only 2 people (1.5%) believed that the Internet
influenced their mental health in a negative way.
Participants of the focus group interviews were
asked about what was important for a good life and
whether the use of ICT could contribute to it. In their
answers, most of the respondents were primarily
concentrated on being healthy, the opportunity to be
active, having a good network and establishing and
maintaining good relations with their relatives and
friends. In addition, many of them mentioned the
importance of having a good economy and having a
good housing situation. Some also highlighted the
opportunities of doing what they wanted and the
pleasure derived from enjoying the nature, literature
and music. All believed that different types of
technology could contribute positively to a good life,
i.e., use of the Internet makes it easier to find
information about different possibilities and to
contact people. A woman stated: Internet contributes
to improve quality of life by increasing my personal
and academic network. All believed that
technological assistive devices make life easier for
many people. In addition to discussing how
technology could contribute to their lives,
informants were also concerned about what they
could do by themselves to have a better life. Several
emphasised the importance of being active and
socially engaged. For them it was essential to have
something to do to not feel inactive. It was stated
that technology could in a way contribute to both
factors self-development and increased self-reliance:
You will find everything you need. You could not
before the Internet came.
The participants of the focus group interviews
were presented with various technological solutions
that could either contribute to social contact or
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135
facilitate everyday life in different ways,
exemplified by: communication (e.g., Skype),
calendar/reminder, entertainment (i.e., games
designed for elderly people), use of the Internet to
order goods and services, sensor technology,
Telehealth solutions and GPS tracking. All
respondents unanimously felt very positive about the
different types of technology presented, apart from
gaming. About gaming, they thought that playing
games was mostly for young people and therefore, at
first, they believed that there was nothing useful in
playing them. Several of them expressed concern
about young people's gaming habits and therefore
considered gaming as something negative. When
they were presented with examples of games that are
designed for elderly people, such as word games,
crossword puzzles or those that encouraged physical
activity, then some of the respondents felt more
positive and accepted the idea of using that type of
cognitively challenging games.
None of the interviewees showed scepticism
with regard to monitoring in connection with the use
of certain types of technology (i.e., different types of
sensor technology and GPS tracking). They were
more practically oriented and believed that if
monitoring serves a good purpose, as for example in
relation to safety and security, the privacy has then a
subordinate role. Several of them stated: It does not
matter. A man admitted: It is very much a hysteria
regarding monitoring; and another said: I would be
very happy if I was demented and that someone put
a GPS on me. I do not understand why some are so
against it… then privacy should rather have a
subordinate role. Even though they were positive
about the use of technology and technological
developments, they were sceptical about specific
things related to the use of technology: I have been a
bit sceptical to give my Social Security number when
I order things online or travels. Many were afraid
that posted information might be misused, and found
it difficult to know what information to trust. Many
were also sceptical of computer use in general,
underlining the negative impact of computing habits
on adolescents’ way of life. Some also highlighted
that the Internet had the risk of making people
physically inactive and thus contribute to isolation:
What can disappear is the social aspect, such as the
fact of seeing on live a person with your eyes. They
emphasized that technology does not have to take
away the social relationships between people: By
using the Internet you make cells for each
individual… so that the old are sitting in each cell…
and with the loneliness you get new diseases. Some
expressed scepticism to social media sites, such as
Facebook, and they were concerned about the fact
that many people, mostly young, are posting too
much information online. Many also experienced the
challenge to keep up to date with technology
advances and admitted that they were scared by how
fast technology is advancing and felt they were
falling behind: You cannot blink your eyes long
before the technology has overtaken you, it goes so
fast... you cannot follow it... you will be left behind
sooner or later. Another man said that he and his
wife tried to follow: We have created accounts in
Facebook and also have purchased the iPhone and
iPad so that we would not be left behind.
The interviewees were also concerned that
elderly people in general do not have enough ICT-
use competences: There are many who do not have
internet because it is scary for them, they do not
dare... They believed that the Internet has a great
place in society and therefore it is important that
elderly people get sufficient training in order to be
“e-included”: It has tremendous significance… the
entire community would stop if the Internet is not
working. They expressed that they felt sorry for the
oldest people who do not have the capacity to
acquire the necessary knowledge, but also argued
that today’s society is in a transitional stage and that
for future generations’ use of technology will be
more natural: We are in a transitional phase... it will
probably be more natural in the future.
3.3 Improvement of ICT-skills
3.3.1 Need for Further Training
When the respondents were asked in the survey to
what extent they needed to strengthen their skills in
the use of ICT, approximately two thirds (71%) had
some or considerable need to strengthen their skills,
while a third had none or little need (29%).
Genealogy and organizing and editing files were
mentioned regarding requests for specific training
topics. In addition, there were several respondents
who wanted to learn how to use social media and
entertainment applications. Both ICT-users and non-
users were asked whether they would like to attend
courses. 46% responded that they would consider it,
36% would not and slightly less than 20% were
unsure.
Although most of the interviewees in the focus
groups were frequent users of ICT, most of them had
different needs for further training according to their
interests. Some of them just wanted to be generally
better and safer when using ICT, while others had
more specific requests. Various suggested topics
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were use of search engines, videoconference (e.g.,
Skype), image processing, genealogy and how to
find and booking trips.
3.4 Facilitating ICT-use among Elderly
People
3.4.1 Increase ICT-skills
To increase the digital ICT-skills of elderly
population, several interviewees mentioned that the
local municipality should be in charge of organizing
different types of courses. However, the general
opinion expressed was that by simply offering
traditional courses the municipality would not reach
out all those who were in most need to improve their
skills: There will always be somebody who remains
outside, often those who are in greatest need. One
respondent suggested: Maybe they could have some
information and deliver it to all households. Not
everybody reads newspapers and advertisements. In
addition, they made various suggestions about how
the municipality could try to entice more people to
attend courses, such as combining courses with a
social event, lectures or food. One interviewee said:
I think one must connect it to the things that elderly
people are interested in so that you can match it
with your own interests. Another suggestion was that
the municipality could offer home tuition or
assistance to those who cannot get physically out of
their houses because of health problems by
cooperating with voluntary organizations and
schools. One interviewee highlighted the fact that
municipalities should not have to give up educating
their citizens because: […] there is much to be
gained for society by getting people online.
When asked about what is the biggest obstacle to
get people attending courses respondents answered
that many elderly people feel useless: The biggest
obstacle is that they [elderly people] do not think
they understand or master anything, you think you
are too stupid. However, some will not want to
learn: Many times it is excluding, and they will not
listen and say that “it is not for me”. Then it is
difficult. Therefore, it is important that the courses
start at a sufficient low level so that everyone can
acquire enough level of knowledge to be effectively
e-included in the society. The possibility of having
retired people as trainers was also suggested: The
municipality could engage their own elderly
pensioners. There is so much knowledge among us
that is wasted. In addition, many interviewees were
afraid that something wrong might happen with their
computer. A woman admitted: I recognize it from
myself too. I was so nervous. Another informant
said: It is important to create confidence to show
people that this is not dangerous and that this is
something they can benefit from. Some also felt that
the courses held in the municipality today are too
expensive, what probably could discourage people
from participating.
3.4.2 Increase Use of Assistive Technology
The interviewees believed that the local municipality
had an important function informing their citizens
about existing technology, for example, by creating
demonstration rooms where different solutions can
be shown: If the municipality makes a demonstration
room with different types of technology, I will come
and have a look. In addition, they suggested that
home care professionals could be trained and
possibly bring their own checklist and
questionnaires to map people’s needs for
technological solutions at their homes.
4 DISCUSSION
The results from the study brought some important
findings about the elderly population sample
interviewed through the questionnaire and the focus
groups sessions. About the RQ1 concerning the
extension of ICT-use among elderly people, based
on the sample analysed, Norwegian older people
have a high percentage of Internet access. However,
such access does not guarantee, firstly, the sufficient
knowledge of how to use the technology; secondly,
the awareness of the benefits of such use; and
thirdly, the support available to increase the use,
knowledge and self-confidence. For the RQ2 about
motivation for ICT-use, several motivational factors
have been encountered throughout the study
consistent with the existing literature, e.g., the
importance of being updated on “what is happening”
in the community and of maintaining social contacts.
Regarding RQ3 about training, inexperienced users
were the first who needed ICT-use training and the
acknowledgement of the benefits of such use; more
experienced users needed more information and
support about the possibilities of unfamiliar
applications.
4.1 Access and Use of ICT
In the survey, 91% of the interviewees reported that
they had access to a computer, consistent with the
average rate for the Norwegian general population,
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93% (SSB, Use of ICT in households, 2013).
However, a national survey in Norway from 2011
showed that 1 in 4 people in the age segment group
between 65 and 74 did not have Internet access at
home. Among people between 75 and 79 years old,
the proportion of people without the Internet access
was 60% (SSB, Use of ICT in households, 2011).
This means that there was a significantly greater
number of participants in the survey who had access
to computers and the Internet than in the general
population. According to the national Norwegian
survey, nearly half of those who did not have
Internet access at home stated that they did not need
it and around one third of the informants reported
the lack of knowledge as the reason (Use of ICT in
households, SSB 2011).
Figures from Statistics Norway show that, on
average, just over 70% of people aged 75 and older
has used a computer in the last three months in 2013
(Use of ICT in households, 2013). However, the
figures do not distinguish between the reduced and
extensive use. Yet, it may indicate that the
informants in our study, where 80% of the
respondents of the survey were frequent users, use
the Internet more frequently than the average user in
the same segment in the Norwegian population.
The findings are congruent with the position that
Norway is among the developed countries with the
highest ICT levels (EU, Measuring Digital skills
across the EU, 2014). In the different household,
ICT use and access rankings and in the ICT
Development Index (IDI), Norway occupies a high
position with around 93% of the population using
Internet, and being one of the first countries to offer
Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless technology
(ITU, 2013).
According to the survey, most respondents used
the Internet for activities such as online banking,
email, sending attachments, reading online
newspapers, finding phone numbers and addresses,
and finding factual information. This is in
accordance with the national survey (SSB, Activities
conducted on the Internet in the last 3 months,
2013), where activities such as email, reading the
news online and net banking are the most common
activities across all age groups. Our findings are also
consistent with reviews reporting that older adults
most commonly use the Internet for communication
and social support, leisure and entertainment,
productivity and searching for information (Wagner
et al., 2010; Kim, 2008). However, results from both
the survey and the interviews show that relatively
few interviewees were advanced Internet users. That
means that most elderly people of the sample are
still "cautious users", who have a relatively limited
range of ICT activities to perform. Despite older
adults perform similar activities as other younger
users with technology, they tend to not to fully
explore and use the advantages that unfamiliar
advanced tools offer online (Wagner et al. 2010).
There is great potential to give older adults an
insight into further possibilities for using ICT. If
older adults have a positive perception of usefulness,
ease of use and efficacy of the Internet, they will
likely use it more often (Adams et al., 2005).
Additionally, few interviewees used social media
such as Facebook. Social media is now largely
common among adolescents, but it is not particularly
utilized among the elderly. According to national
statistics (SSB, Use of ICT in households, 2011),
about 90% of people under the age of 35 have
participated in social networking sites in the last
three months, compared with 13% in the 65-74 years
age group. Use of social media is in many ways a
positive contribution to the social community and to
elderly people, who can contact their children and
grandchildren, and also keep in touch with old and
new acquaintances (Cotton, 2009). Therefore, it is
important to inform this age group of the potential
ICT uses of these media' and to stimulate their
increased use among them. In this line, the use of
videoconference software (e.g., Skype) can support
contact despite large distances. However,
interviewees also expressed a general scepticism
towards the technology itself, being afraid of how
the use of technology would contribute to social
isolation rather than strengthening social
relationships. Herein lies much of the technology's
duality; it represents both an opportunity to
strengthen social and independent lives, but it also
may contribute to the contrary; social isolation and
inactivity.
According to the survey, the main barriers to
increase ICT skills were the lack of interest, having
other people doing the tasks for them, such as
partners, and the absence of need for learning new
things (especially mentioned by those self-rated as
experienced users). According to other research,
common reasons for not using computers were:
constrained learning opportunities, time availability,
and a feeling that computer use is generally too
complicated (Kim, 2008). Lack of perceived benefit,
motivations and knowledge have been also
previously reported as common reasons (Wagner,
2010).
There was a relatively greater number of men
than women who responded to our survey. This can
be explained by the fact that men are more active
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users of computers and the Internet than women
(SSB, Statistics Norway, 2014). Especially those
women who do not have the necessary ICT skills
and generally live longer than men, will find it
difficult to access services in the future if they have
to manage it on their own. Many of the women of
the generation interviewed had often had little
connection to the labour market and had often had a
partner who dealt with house economy. These
women are especially vulnerable to be marginalized.
Therefore, it is important to provide training
specifically aimed at older women (Lorenzen, 2008).
Another important barrier to the use of ICT was the
experience of low usability. In addition, informants
also reported that the terminology was in many cases
difficult to understand, e.g., error messages, and that
the frequent software updates resulted in unexpected
layout changes and increased frustration. Reported
limitations concerning trying out new things were an
existing fear of making mistakes, low self-efficacy
and high level of personal anxiety among older
adults (Czaja et al., 2006). In addition, age-related
declining levels of spatial ability and mental model
accuracy has been shown to have an impact on ICT
performance as well as more general objective and
individual age changes as low vision, psychomotor
coordination, attention span and memory (Wagner et
al. 2014). It is important to pay attention to elderly
people’s needs when designing and updating ICT
systems, especially for aspects such as navigation,
recognition of elements and predictability of their
functionality. ICT training must take into account
that older users require longer time to learn and
more repetitions when compared with younger or
more experienced users. A series of important goals
must include the increase of older adult’s computer
self-efficacy, the emphasis of the benefits of the
system and the creation of motivation for use. Also
support personnel should be trained to highlight
these critical points (Wagner et al., 2010).
4.2 Attitudes to ICT
Users and non-users stated that it was necessary to
use ICT to participate in the society. They believed
that ICT was important to monitor what is
happening and to maintain social contact. Active
users expressed that the Internet is a positive
contribution to their lives, both socially and
mentally. These are important aspects of Internet use
that should be effectively conveyed to non-users.
When properly used, the Internet can be an
important factor to prevent loneliness and inactivity,
contributing to self-control and independence (Sum
et al, 2008).
All interviewees were very positive about the
technologies presented to them, including various
services of the Internet and types of welfare
technology. Interviewees were aware that many
people were overly sceptical when talking about
surveillance technologies. However, respondents
had a pragmatic approach primarily focused on the
practical benefits of using technology. This positive
attitude stands out in contrast to stereotypes that
suggest that older adults are unable, unwilling or
afraid to use tracking technology. However, at the
same time interviewees expressed some scepticism
related to technology use in other areas, i.e., posting
too much information on the internet, buying and
selling goods over the Internet and about the security
of Internet banking. This is in line with a study
reporting that although older adults were positive
about technology, they were, at the same time,
concerned about identity theft and loss of human
contact (Fausset et al., 2013).
4.3 Facilitating ICT Use
Half of the participants expressed their desire of
attending the courses. In addition, many of the
interviewees with some technology experience
acknowledged the need for further training. This
shows that there is a great potential to increase ICT
skills in the elderly by offering didactical technology
courses, designed and implemented in conjunction
with the municipalities. However, it is a challenge to
get municipalities to offer courses for a growing
group of older people who eventually have some
ICT skills and are ready for further skills
development. It is important that these groups have
access to adequate levels of provision embracing
their interests. These groups of elderly people would
need to have the opportunity to become more
experienced users so that they can effectively fully
use the potential that ICT provides. It is especially
relevant to develop ICT skills that help to increase
their autonomy and their social network.
The background for the EU’s digitization
strategy is to make important community functions
available for all residents. Therefore, when
designing ICT courses, there should be a stronger
focus on raising awareness among elderly people.
The use of ICT can positively contribute to social
participation and self-efficacy. This means that a
strong focus should be implemented on the
possibilities of using social media and finding
relevant and high-quality health and other relevant
public information. According to Mitzner et al.
MappingElderlyCitizen'sComputerandICTUseinaSmall-sizedNorwegianMunicipality
139
(2010), older adults perceived a positive outcome of
the use of technology when it is adopted. In this line,
Campbell (2008) describes how training in ICT
strengthens older people’s ability to play an active
role in their health care, and has a positive effect on
their life styles.
The informants were also concerned about
groups of older people who are particularly hard to
reach by traditional courses, due to their lack of
interest and self-confidence. Therefore,
municipalities should be creative in terms of
recruitment, information and dissemination of ICT-
use knowledge, e.g., in collaboration with
volunteers. For instance, the youth could help as
“door-openers” for the dissemination of the
advantages of ICT use by teaching the basics to
elderly people without ICT experience (Thygesen et
al. 2014). ICT courses for older adult learners should
emphasize social contact and commitment (Leen and
Lang, 2013), because social motivational factors are
important to older adult learners.
4.4 Limitations of the Study
Despite the fact that the survey was distributed
among a randomized and stratified sample (in
relation to gender and age) of people over 64 years
in a small municipality in Southern Norway, there
were a relatively greater number of men than women
(60% vs 40%) who responded to our survey, and,
therefore, it is suggested that, based on the sample,
men are more active users of computers and the
Internet than women. This skewed distribution could
have had an influence on the results. However,
among the Norwegian population, there are slightly
more men than women in the age groups between
65-84 years old, coincidentally the same age groups
with the highest response rate in the survey (see
Table 2). However, this does not completely explain
the large predominance of men who responded to
the questionnaire. The conclusion is therefore that
part of the difference in the response rate may be
explained by the fact that men are more active users
of ICT than women and more likely to respond to
the survey.
Table 2: Percentages of male respondents to the survey
(N=178) compared to the population gender distribution in
Norway.
Age group Survey Total
population
65-79 63% 52%
80+ 36% 39%
5 CONCLUSIONS
This work studied the computer and Internet use
among elderly citizens from a small-size Southern
Norwegian municipality using a questionnaire and
three focus groups. The main topics covered by the
questionnaire were Access and Use of ICT,
Attitudes towards Use of ICT, Skill Improvement
and Facilitation of ICT-use among the elderly. A
series of three focus groups were created after
collecting questionnaire’s answers to delve deeper in
the data and give a detailed overview.
The majority of the interviewees had and
frequently used a computer at home. However, still a
considerable amount of elderly people did not use
ICT. One of the findings was that approximately half
of the respondents had learned how to use ICT
through the attendance of a specific course in the
matter. Many others did learn through the effective
help of their relatives and friends. The most common
tasks done online were those that provide useful
information with little effort, such as reading the
news, seeking basic information on a search engine
or communicating via email. Other complex tasks
such as buying goods, installing programs, or
streaming music were perceived as more
sophisticated and only achieved by very few. Social
networks had a relatively small use, mainly used for
reading what others posted rather than posting
themselves. There was a problem with the trust of
the information source in social network websites
and a general concern with the potential misuse of
the personal posted information.
Another finding was about monitoring
technologies, which, when compliant with safety
and privacy regulations, were satisfactorily accepted.
In terms of institutional responsibility, the local
municipalities were attributed a key role in
informing their citizens about the existing
technological solutions. It was suggested that having
a demonstration room in a municipality building
nearby would facilitate the approach and learning of
new technologies. This building could bring the
opportunity of having a training centre which would
offer courses at all levels of proficiency combined
with social events, lectures or food.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors thank all the participants for their
contributions in the study. They would also like to
thank the useful comments from the reviewers and
HEALTHINF2015-InternationalConferenceonHealthInformatics
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their time for reviewing the manuscript. Financial
support was provided by the Interreg IVB North Sea
Region (NSR) European project “iAge”.
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