"The number of people aged 65 and over accessing the internet has risen by more than a quarter in the past year, driven by a three-fold increase in the use of tablet computers to go online, new Ofcom research reveals.
This has helped to drive overall internet use up from 79% of adults in 2012 to 83% in 2013, according to Ofcom’s Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes Report.
The proportion of people aged over 65 that are accessing the web reached 42% in 2013, up nine percentage points from 33% in 2012, which is a 27% increase over the year. One reason for this is an increase in the use of tablet computers by older people aged 65-74 to go online, up from 5% in 2012 to 17% in 2013.
Nearly all adults under 35 years old now go online (98%). The increase in internet use was driven by three different age-groups: 25-34s (98%, up from 92% in 2012), 45-54s (91%, up from 84%), and, most notably, those over 65."
There are many reasons why tablets are supporting the "drive" to get older people online, for example:
- the touch interface makes it "easier" to use, than keyboard and mouse (or not)
Syed Murad, Michael Bradley, Neesha Kodagoda et al. (2012) Using task analysis to explore older novice participants’ experiences with a handheld touchscreen device, 524. In Contemporary Ergonomics and Human Factors 2012: Proceedings of the International.
Lim, F. S., Wallace, T., Luszcz, M. A., & Reynolds, K. J. (2013). Usability of tablet computers by people with early-stage dementia. Gerontology, 59(2), 174-182.
- the shape of the device is more inviting, aesthetically pleasing and easier to handle
- the operating systems are more smart phone like rather than PC like and potentially easier to handle (and more familiar to current users of smart phones)
Read the full press release here
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