Seniors Online: Attitudes Toward the Internet and Coping With Everyday Life

Abstract

Many older people do not use the Internet. We investigated the attitudes of older people who do (onliners) or do not (offliners) use the Internet, to assess their views of the Internet and whether they see the Internet as a resource for coping with everyday life situations. Participants aged ≥65 years (N = 1,037), living in Switzerland, were interviewed in a telephone survey. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted. The data show (a) many of the respondents viewed the Internet as useful, in general, and for coping with everyday life situations; (b) onliners saw more positive aspects of the Internet than did offliners; and (c) among onliners, 53% agreed with the statement, “The Internet allows me to stay independent longer into old age.” However, it appears that especially older onliners with a high affinity for technology will presumably use the Internet to cope with everyday life.

Keywords

Internet digital divide attitudes coping elderly people

Introduction

It would be hard to imagine life, today, without the benefits of the Internet. The acceptance of new technology, such as the Internet, has become a universal theme in our modern age “because it is pervasive across all domains of life” (Mitzner et al., 2010, p. 1710). Although Internet use is ubiquitous, whether at home on a computer or on the move using a smartphone, statistics still show a digital divide between younger and older age groups (Brandtzaeg, Heim, & Karahasnovic, 2011; Korupp & Szydlik, 2005; Lengsfeld, 2011; Olson, O’Brien, Rogers, & Charness, 2010). Among Europeans aged 25 to 64 years, 83% had used the Internet in the previous 3 months, but only 45% of those aged 65 to 74 years had used it in the same time period (Eurostat, 2015). According to Pew Research Center (2014), 86% of Americans use the Internet at least occasionally, but only 59% of the elderly (≥65) do so. In Switzerland, the digital gap is also noted (Internet use in the last 6 months—age group 14-30 years: 98%, age group 65+: 49%; Swiss Statistics, 2016). Although general observation suggests age represents a fault line in the digital divide, other factors such as education, income, health, and technological affinity may affect Internet use among older age groups (Friemel, 2016; Schelling & Seifert, 2010).

The spread of the Internet and the dominance of content available only on the Internet lead to greater exclusion of older people who do not go online (Peacock & Künemund, 2007). On the contrary, technology, such as the Internet, “can be helpful for maintaining functioning, independence, and motivating engagement with important life goals” (Schulz et al., 2015, p. 732). Specifically, the Internet offers many support options for active and independent aging (Czaja & Lee, 2007; Erickson & Johnson, 2011), and a resource for mental health (Forsman & Nordmyr, 2015). Information and communication technologies, such as the Internet, can be a gateway to the new digital world and a forum for social exchange (Mollenkopf & Hampel, 1994).

But how do the elderly view the Internet, and do they see a potential benefit in it for their quality of life in old age? To answer these questions, we investigated the attitudes of adults ≥65 years toward the Internet. In Switzerland and in other countries, little is known about the attitudes of older adults toward the Internet. Donat, Brandtweiner, and Kerschbaum (2009) have shown that the variable attitude plays an important role in acceptance and use of the Internet. Therefore, we hypothesized that older people who use the Internet have a more positive attitude toward it, and they view it as helpful in coping with everyday life. The study attempted to answer three research questions:

Research Question 1: What are the attitudes of Swiss people ≥65 years toward the Internet?

Research Question 2: Is there a difference in the attitudes of users and nonusers of the Internet?

Research Question 3: Do older adults, who use the Internet, see it as a resource for coping with everyday life?

Method

Our study in 2014 found relatively low Internet usage by older people in Switzerland. This study was the second (the first was in 2009) of a bigger trend study (Seifert & Schelling, 2015). In 2014, 1,037 people aged ≥65 years were interviewed from all language regions of Switzerland. A computer-assisted telephone interview was used, supplemented by a paper-and-pencil survey of households without a telephone connection. A standardized questionnaire (see the appendix of the main publication in Seifert & Schelling, 2015) was used. A simple random sample of the permanent resident population of Switzerland aged ≥65 years was chosen from the AZ-Direct database. There were no restrictions on upper age, current Internet use, nationality, or type of housing. The study included a good representation across all age groups ≥65 years, with little underrepresentation of the older age groups (Table 1).

Table 1.

Characteristics of Older People Participating in the Survey on Internet Usage (N = 1,037).

Parameter	Scale	Count	%	Swiss Federal Statistics%
Gender	Female	547	52.7	56.3
Gender	Male	490	47.3	43.7
Age	65-69	304	29.3	29.8
	70-74	289	27.9	23.8
	75-79	202	19.5	18.5
	80-84	134	12.9	14.3
	85+	108	10.4	13.6
Language	French	200	19.3	22.8
	German	730	70.4	67.2
	Italian	107	10.3	9.9
Citizenship	Swiss	970	93.5	89.4
Citizenship	Other	67	6.5	10.6
Household type	Private	976	94.8	90.5
Household type	Other	61	5.2	9.5
Marital status	Single	65	6.3	7.2
	Married/partnership	621	60.2	58.0
	Widowed	231	22.4	24.0
	Divorced/separated	115	11.1	10.8
Education	Obligatory school	184	18.2	28.3
	Secondary school II	580	57.3	52.3
	Tertiary education	248	24.5	19.4
Household income	≤CHF 3,000	158	16.1	—
	CHF 3,001-6,000	544	55.3	—
	>CHF 6,000	282	28.7	—
Internet use	Onliners (Internet users)	626	60.4	54.1
Internet use	Offliners (nonusers)	411	39.6	45.9

For statistical analysis, SPSS (Version 22) was used. Analysis was primarily descriptive. Furthermore, t statistic and a one-way between-subjects ANOVA were used to analyze the group differences between onliners and offliners. In addition, a linear regression was calculated to analyze the predictors for the positive attitude toward the Internet regarding coping in old age. Differences between two groups, onliners (who had used the Internet in the previous 6 months; n = 626) and offliners (who had either never used the Internet or not done so in the previous 6 months; n = 411), were analyzed.

Results

Participant Characteristics and Internet Use

The youngest person of the sample was 65 years and the oldest was 100 years (M age: women, 74.6 years and men, 74.3 years). Men comprised 47% of those interviewed. Compared with Swiss Federal Statistics data (Table 1), people without Swiss citizenship and those who no longer lived in their own household were underrepresented in the sample. People with a high level of education were overrepresented.

Although the digital divide between the generations has decreased over the past few years, only 60% of the elderly people interviewed were using the Internet in autumn of 2014. Internet usage differed greatly between age groups. Only 12.9% of Internet users were found in the age group ≥85 years. The group aged between 65 and 69 years had the highest proportion (79.3%) of Internet users. Resources, such as education, income, and health, positively affected Internet usage. In addition, influence from a person’s social environment, affinity for technology, and perceived personal benefit had a positive impact on Internet use. Security concerns, a high learning curve, and difficulty of use were mentioned as predominant reasons for not using the Internet.

Attitudes of Older People Toward the Internet

Of all the people interviewed, 58% said they could not imagine life without technical devices. Nevertheless, 41% said operation of new technical devices was difficult for them.

Many respondents had a positive opinion toward the Internet (see Table 2). Only a few (17%) stated a fear of being addicted to the Internet. Many people regarded the Internet as a good tool to maintain contact with others (47%) and save time in everyday life (56%). Over half (52%) said the Internet is stimulating and fascinating. Fifty-eight percent disagreed it “is a waste of time.” Only 27% agreed with the normative statement, “You have to use the Internet to have a say.” Most of the people interviewed (64%) agreed with the statement, “The older generation should use the Internet.” This is interesting, because it expresses a strong normative attitude. However, 53% agreed with the statement, “If the Internet were better suited to the elderly, they would use it more” (see Table 2).

Table 2.

Attitudes Toward the Internet Among Older Adults (N = 1,037).

Statements^a	All respondents	Onliners (n = 626)		Offliners (n = 411)		t statistic	One-way between-subjects ANOVA
Statements^a	Percentage who agree^b	Average	SD	Average	SD	t/df/p	F(df: between/within)/p
A: General attitude
I do not fear becoming addicted to the Internet	70.9	4.13	1.27	3.96	1.53	1.887/987/.059	3.56 (1/987)/.059
The older generation should use the Internet	63.5	4.15	1.13	3.20	1.35	11.754/967/<.001	138.16 (1/967)/<.001
The Internet is not a waste of time	58.3	4.07	1.19	3.25	1.49	9.450/969/<.001	89.30 (1/969)/<.001
The Internet saves a lot of legwork	56.1	3.77	1.38	3.09	1.59	6.815/936/<.001	46.44 (1/936)/<.001
If the Internet were better suited to the elderly, they would use it more	53.3	3.59	1.36	3.34	1.44	2.628/897/.009	6.90 (1/897)/.009
The Internet is stimulating and fascinating	52.3	3.75	1.27	2.83	1.54	9.797/947/<.001	95.97 (1/947)/<.001
The Internet facilitates contact with other people	47.3	3.49	1.49	2.83	1.55	6.462/967/<.001	41.75 (1/967)/<.001
You have to use the Internet to have a say	26.6	2.62	1.51	2.13	1.40	5.068/978/<.001	25.68 (1/978)/<.001
B: Coping with everyday life (in old age)
The Internet allows me to stay independent longer into old age	42.6	3.44	1.43	2.41	1.48	10.425/925/<.001	108.68 (1/925)/<.001
The use of the Internet gives me more freedom in shaping my own life	28.7	2.91	1.45	2.08	1.34	8.653/940/<.001	74.87 (1/940)/<.001
The use of the Internet gives me more control over my own life	26.0	2.77	1.40	2,16	1.41	6.277/921/<.001	39.39 (1/921)/<.001
The use of the Internet gives me more security	21.4	2.56	1.38	1.94	1.29	6.846/936/<.001	46.86 (1/936)/<.001

Statements in order of frequency. Participants were asked to respond on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).

Percentage of participants responding with 4 (agree) or 5 (strongly agree).

Onliner and Offliner Attitudes Toward the Internet

Onliners rated the Internet more positively than offliners (Table 2). Other than a statement regarding Internet addiction, the between-group differences in mean responses to all statements were significant. The biggest difference was for the statement, “The older generation should use the Internet.” More onliners saw the older generation as having a personal responsibility to use the Internet than offliners in the same age. The smallest significant difference was for the statement, “If the Internet were better suited to the elderly, they would use it more.” Here, onliners and offliners have similar views. Onliners appraised the Internet more frequently as fascinating and useful. Based on the statements about influence of the Internet on daily life, we found Internet users ascribed more benefits to the Internet for everyday use.

Internet as a Resource for Coping With Daily Living in Old Age

When asked whether the Internet gave them more control, security, and freedom in the management of their lives, 21% to 29% of the total sample agreed (Table 2). Among onliners, agreement with these statements ranged from 26% to 36%. Among all respondents, 47% agreed with the statement that the Internet facilitates contact with other people, while 54% of onliners agreed. Similarly, 56% of all respondents and 63% of onliners agreed with the statement, “The Internet saves a lot of legwork.” These results suggest that many onliners attribute a high value to the Internet for coping with everyday life.

But will the Internet provide specific help for coping in old age? In response to the statement, “The Internet allows me to stay independent longer into old age”, 43% of all respondents, but 53% of onliners agreed with this statement (Table 2). To find the factors predicting the approval of this statement, multiple linear regression (separately for onliners and offliners) was calculated (Table 3). A significant regression equation was found, with low, but acceptable, R² values in each model. For onliners, only the two statements regarding technology affinity were significant predictors. Variables such as gender, age, education, income, or subjective independence and subjective health were not significant predictors. However, for the offliners, education and the affinity for new technological devices proved significant predictors. It seems that onliners and offliners with a high affinity for technology attribute a high value to the Internet for staying independent longer in old age.

Table 3.

Multiple Linear Regression to Predict Agreement With the Statement “The Internet Allows Me to Stay Independent Longer Into Old Age.”

Predictors	Onliners (n = 626)				Offliners (n = 411)
	F(9, 541) = 8.429, p < .000; R² = .123				F(9, 290) = 4.345, p < .000; R² = .119
	β	SE	Beta	p	β	SE	Beta	p
Age^a	−.001	0.012	−.002	.964	−.008	0.013	−.037	.547
Gender^b	.060	0.133	.448	.654	−.117	0.195	−.038	.549
Education^c	.118	0.101	.050	.246	−.428	0.135	−.188	.002
Income^d	.016	0.099	.007	.876	−.033	0.151	−.013	.829
Living alone^e	.051	0.140	.016	.718	−.158	0.188	−.054	.400
Subjective independence^f	−.091	0.124	−.031	.462	−.010	0.082	−.139	.403
Subjective health^g	.069	0.069	.042	.324	−.010	0.072	−.008	.890
Affinity for new technical devices^h	.331	0.051	.294	.001	.288	0.070	.250	.001
No life without technical devicesⁱ	.108	0.049	.097	.028	.056	0.058	.965	.335

Note. confidence limit 0.05; significant differences in italicized type

Dependent variable: Agreement with the statement “The Internet allows me to stay independent longer into old age” (scale from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree).

Age: Age in years.

Gender: 1 = female, 0 = male.

Education: 1 = compulsory education, secondary school, tertiary level.

Income: Monthly gross household income (in CHF).

Living alone: 1 = yes, 0 = no.

Subjective independence: Statement “I feel very independent in my household” (scale from 1 = does not apply at all to 5 = fully applies).

Subjective health: Statement “My health is very good for my age” (scale from 1 = does not apply at all to 5 = fully applies).

Affinity for new technical devices: Statement “I am very interested in new technical things” (scale from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree).

No life without technical devices: Statement “I cannot imagine life without technical devices” (scale from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree).

Discussion

The first research question addressed the attitudes of Swiss people ≥65 years toward the Internet. Most respondents found the Internet to be useful, in general, and for coping with everyday situations. The majority said the Internet was not a waste of time, and the older generation should use the Internet. These statements indicate that there was no general dislike of the Internet among those interviewed. Even some, who did not use the Internet, had a positive attitude toward it. It seems, however, certain barriers (such as security concerns, learning effort, difficulty of use, and a low assessment of benefits) prevent Internet usage (Friemel, 2016; Schelling & Seifert, 2010).

The second research question addressed the difference among the views of onliners and offliners. Onliners saw more positive aspects of the Internet than offliners. Donat et al. (2009) also reported that Internet users have a more positive attitude toward the Internet and are more open to new technology. Based on an attitude-behavior theory that argues beliefs lead to attitudes, and attitudes are an important precursor to behavior (e.g., Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975), we argue a positive attitude toward the Internet facilitates its use. However, also the reverse causal direction—an attitude change according to the actual behavior to reduce cognitive dissonance—is theoretically possible (Festinger, 1957); therefore, longitudinal studies are necessary to give more insight.

The third research question addressed whether the Internet is useful in helping older people maintain their independence. Among onliners, 53% agreed with the statement, “The Internet allows me to stay independent longer in old age.” Most of the older onliners see the Internet as a helpful resource for better coping with everyday life. It seems that onliners with a high affinity for new technologies, particularly, will use technical aids now and in later life to cope with everyday life.

The data in this study from Switzerland had only a limited focus over a short period of time, but it is clear there will be a further increase in Internet usage among older people. However, we suggest—despite the general trend toward a diminishing digital gap between younger and older age groups—that attitudes differences toward the Internet will perpetuate a digital gap among older people. Further research over a longer time period is required to examine how attitudes change and reshape this digital gap.

Conclusion

More older onliners rated the Internet positively and as helpful than offliners. Today, most of the older people who use the Internet appreciate technology and say the Internet helps them cope with everyday life. However, further research is needed to decide whether the Internet use actually affects everyday coping in old age.

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Support for this research was provided by a grant from Pro Senectute Switzerland.

Author Biographies

Alexander Seifert is a PhD student in the University Research Priority Program “Dynamics of Healthy Aging” of the University of Zurich and a research assistant at the Center of Competence for Gerontology at the University of Zurich. He studied sociology (MA).

Hans Rudolf Schelling is the managing director at the Center of Competence for Gerontology at the University of Zurich. He studied psychology (lic. phil.).

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