By Thoo Bao Ying (49292)
Use of Internet is getting popular these days. Internet is so convenient and at ease nowadays that it can solve most of the problems that we faced. For example, we can use Internet for booking transaction, for finding information and for social interaction. We know the fact that many young people are using Internet for different purposes, but the question is whether the old people are also using Internet nowadays? Does the Internet usage turn less when the age of the people is getting higher?
Use of Internet is getting popular these days. Internet is so convenient and at ease nowadays that it can solve most of the problems that we faced. For example, we can use Internet for booking transaction, for finding information and for social interaction. We know the fact that many young people are using Internet for different purposes, but the question is whether the old people are also using Internet nowadays? Does the Internet usage turn less when the age of the people is getting higher?
According
to the Pew American Life and the Internet 2009 survey reports in Siapera
(2012), as the age of the people getting elder, their usage of internet
decreases. Siepara (2012) mentioned that age is inversely related to the
Internet and other new media use. Based on Figure 1 below, there were almost
92% under 18 year-olds are using the Internet and less than 20% of people aged
75 years and above consume Internet. Figure 2 also shows younger people are
consuming Internet much more than the older people in the USA.
Figure
1.
UK Internet use by age.
Figure 2. Internet use
by age in the USA.
However,
in Malaysia, there was a research done whereby the findings are against with
above conclusions. According to Hisham (2006), the use of computers and the
Internet appear to be increasing in line with the ageing of the population.
There are a lot of studies that shown older people which are aged 60 and above
contributes one of the fastest growing groups of the Web users (Hisham, 2006).
In the research, most of the respondents are Chinese and they had some computer
experience. The reasons for them to use the Internet are mostly the Internet
access and work- related tasks. Plus, elderly people will mostly use the
Internet for email purpose to communicate with family members and friends
abroad and use least on online shopping, downloading videos, sharing files and
online transactions.
Therefore,
there are differences of results regarding the use of the Internet by the older
people. Which do you think is more accurate? What is your opinion?
In
my opinion, there are many older people that are using the Internet. However,
they know their boundaries and not getting obsessed with it like the youths.
They have practically used the traditional ways of doing things in their life
such as writing letters to friends and etc. and hence they still feel more
comfortable in that way. In addition, I think they are not the heavy users as
the youths whereby their usage of Internet is lesser than people with younger
age, which have started using Internet when they were children. Like my parents
with their age 60 years-olds, they are also using social medias such as
Facebook and Whatapps. Nonetheless, they know how to control their usage by
just spending little time on it.
In
another perspective, I think the technologies are convenient to all people
regardless of their ages. I think it is a good idea to let the elder people to
learn and master the Internet as they can also adapt to the new changes and
become proficient online. I believe the advantages of technologies should be
well used by all ages of the people. Everyone has the right to use and enjoy
the benefits of Internet. I shared a link which is regarding an old lady
learning to operate a computer. However, the person who teaches the old lady is
very impatient. Hence, I think that to increase the percentage of the older
people to learn using Internet, people who are going to teach them should be
more patient and caring for them rather than mad at them.
Overall,
whether the elder people are proficient in technologies’ device or in Internet,
our attitudes towards this issue are important. We should give them
opportunities to expand their skills because technologies are meant for all
people.
References
Hisham,
S. (2006). Localising the user interface
for elderly people in Malaysia.
University
of London, London, UK: Department of Computer Science.
Siapera,
E. (2012). Understanding new media.
London, UK: SAGE Publications Ltd.
Hi esther. Pada pendapat saya, golongan muda lebih terdedah kepada internet disebabkan itu penggunaan internet dalam kalangan mereka lebih tinggi. Namun selari dengan kemajuan dunia, golongan dewasa juga tidak ketinggalan untuk turut menggunakan internet sebagai medium untuk berinteraksi dan mendapatkan maklumat.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jasmine. Indeed the usage of Internet is no longer belong to the youth solely nowadays.
DeleteDear Esther,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your sharing about the use of the Internet among different ages. Interestingly, there is an increasing trend of the Internet use among old population in Malaysia. I agreed on your statement about the elders know the boundaries to prevent obsessed use of the Internet when compare with the youths. In my opinion, the elders have a higher level of awareness towards privacy issues when they are consuming the Internet. They are more conscious to online disclosure of personal information. For instance, my parents refused to expose their information such as their pictures and phone number on Social Networking Sites (SNSs) because they think that they will be vulnerable if they do expose their information on the Internet. However, my youngest sister did not think in the same way. She reveals her email address and photoson social networking sites in order to interact with her friends on SNSs. In this case, we can see that the use of the Internet among different ages in our society today. However, the lack of awareness and privacy concerns on the Internet is an important issue that all of us shall take it into consideration in order to protect ourselves.
Here to attach a link to the article which about “A Hot Trend: The Internet, social media & the elderly for more information and the sharing purpose: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anita-kamiel-rn-mps/older-people-social-media_b_9191178.html
Thank you Sok Fern for your opinion. Our family and environment are basically are also experiencing this phenomenon. There is something that we should learn form the elderly as they are more wise in managing online world.
DeleteHai Thoo. I do agree with your statement. Pada pendapat saya, setiap golongan masa kini cenderung kepada penggunaan internet kerana internet memudahkan komunikasi, memudahkan urusan akademik dan sebagainya. Yang menjadi persoalan sekarang adalah faktor usia, betul? Saya berasa bahawa usia bukanlah penghalang kepada penggunaan internet. Hal ini demikian kerana, sistem teknologi yang semakin maju sekarang ini membuatkan ramai orang yang terlalu obses dengan kewujudannya. Ramai golongan tua yang menggunakan internet untuk keperluan peribadi, kenapa? Kerana baru sekarang mereka "kenal" internet? Atau kerana mereka "baru mampu" untuk melanggan internet? Atau mereka sekadar "chipsmore" yang menggunakan internet untuk masa-masa yang tertentu. Jadi, tidak hairan sekiranya golongan tua pada masa kini juga aktif menggunakan internet seperti mana golongan muda menggunakannya. "Usia bukan penghalang jika kita mampu. Usia juga bukan penghalang jika kita mahu". Sekian dari saya, Noraini Nor Azli.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a wonderful speech by Noraini. Yes, they have all rights to the Internet and hence they should not be discriminated just because they consume Internet too these days.
DeleteHi Esther, I can definitely relate to your topic. In fact, I think the generation gap is real at the very beginning since Internet emerged.
ReplyDeleteMy mum who was a former English teacher hardly used the Internet before the government introduced many online programs for the teachers to key in the students' marks and so on. I remembered helping her to register and print out her penyata gaji for the first time. Not to mention how many times I have to teach her how to log in to her email and Facebook account. But ever since she bought a smartphone, she has greatly improved.
My father on the other hand has a slightly upper hand when it comes to the Internet. I guess it is true that males are more prone to explore than females. He learns how to open an email account and watch Youtube videos on his own. The only thing that he asked me to help him was how to redeem a Kenny Rogers e- card online hahaha.
But then, it does not mean that they will not improve. I believe that a little patience from us (the younger generation) will go a long way and that age is just a number. =)
Thank you Joyce. I also believe that age is never a problem and we as a younger generation must also be patient enough to educate the elder ones because they too have the rights to consume Internet.
DeleteHi Esther, i do agree with your point about we should give them opportunities to expand their skills because technologies are meant for all people. For this technology era that we've been experienced with, we, as a younger generation know its advantage by using Internet and also its availability to explore the world. However, elder might have less opportunity compare to us to use Internet. Thus, we should provide more opportunity for them to explore the world through Internet as what we did so that they can also gain some new knowledge and improve their life.
ReplyDeleteTrue Jia Chi. The respective people need to provide more solutions so that the elders can consume the Internet.
DeleteThanks Esther, i think this topic about age gap between internet users really is interesting. I believe that no matter what kind of ways we use internet, there is always a difference or two. Internet suppose to bring benefits and conviniences for all ages users but the way we utilize did make the differences.
ReplyDeleteYa right. But I do hope despite the differences, it would not be an excuse for us to exclude them from the right to expose to Internet.
DeleteHi, Esther
ReplyDeleteI think the elders need to learn how to use the internet. So that they can make connection with the world. My parents know to use the internet. Internet can help them to know more news and information. This help them to learn more. Besides, they had a light entertainment but they do not obsessed to it. They are the good model for me to learn.
Yaya Jessie. They really know how to balance their time in using Internet and time in conducting their daily routines.
DeleteThank you Esther. A research by Google Malaysia and TNS Research found there are more senior citizens watching YouTube than TV. In fact this number is set to grow as high speed mobile Internet and mobile devices become more accessible (cheaper). No doubt, Youtube provide variety of content so much so that render TV obsolete. Who knows, someday Malaysian no longer need Astro. Why paid every month for a few channel with repeated programs while you have internet access to everything you wish to watch?
ReplyDeleteExactly. We can even watch together with senior citizens using Internet. I can imagine how great it would be if all of us can use the Internet regardless of our ages.
Delete