Boomers and Internet use in 2021

 The internet helps us stay connected, look for information, keep entertained, shop and access services. Our engagement with technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace as the capability and capacity of online technology expand.

In the past few years alone, we have seen the internet become more important, because of COVID, in our pockets via our mobile phones, streaming services exploding onto the market, and smart TVs switched on in most homes.

A report out of Australia examines how older people are adapting to the digital world, how and why they access the internet and their attitudes to doing so. This report would, I argue apply to other countries with seniors. With a specific focus on behavioural shifts over the past 4 years, it shows that while younger age groups are still leading the charge in the extent and types of online behaviours, there has been a more significant change in the online habits of those aged 65 and older.

Older people are engaging in a notably broader range of online activities across different devices and connecting to the internet more than ever before. Mobile phones and tablets are now their main gateway to the internet while the use of desktops has remained consistent.

Older people increased their online activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for communication and entertainment. They were more likely to have started or increased video conferencing and consuming video online.

Interestingly, while their behaviours have changed considerably, older people’s views of the digital world remain circumspect. The majority continue to feel overwhelmed by technological change, and may be largely unmotivated to find out more. Their engagement in online environments appears to have been prompted by perceived (or actual) necessity, rather than by seeing benefits in ‘going online’ or feeling confident about doing so.

This research suggests that older people may be feeling somewhat ‘forced’ online, a situation that may have been accelerated by the pandemic, but also by the increasing digitization of life in general. This highlights the importance of supporting older people’s digital literacy and providing them with the skills to navigate what can be confusing and potentially risky environments.

In this way, not only will they use the internet, but they can engage with the digital world safely and confidently.

There are notable changes in the way older people engage with the online world over the previous 4 years. While they remain likely to access the internet at home, most also used a mobile phone to go online when out. Their adoption of other digital devices is also on the rise. This coincides with increases in the range of activities that older people now undertake online, with the majority of those aged 65 and over banking and paying bills, viewing video content and buying goods and services.

While the most commonplace for older people to go online was at home (80%) in 2020. (up from 71% in 2017), more older people are now using mobile phones to access the internet. Since 2017, there have also been increases in the number of older people with internet access at home. 93% of older people had internet access in their homes in June 2020, up from 68% in 2017.

Four years ago, older people used fewer apps and fewer types of devices. On average, a quarter (26%) of older people used 5 or more types of devices to go online in the 6 months to June 2020, compared to 6% in 2017.

Compared to previous years, more older people are using social networking sites and apps to communicate. They are engaging with a greater number of apps, and their use of apps to make video calls, voice calls or send messages has increased substantially.

55% of older people used an app to communicate in the previous 6 months to June 2020, compared to 33% in 2019. The proportion of older people who use apps to communicate has increased in the previous 12 months. Growth in the use of apps to make voice calls in 2020 has almost tripled since 2019.

The previous 4 years have seen a marked increase in the take-up of online entertainment among older age groups. The proportion of those using online subscription services, catch-up television, online platforms like YouTube, and free video content has risen considerably since 2017.

The proportion of older people streaming content on devices has more than doubled since 2017, with 7 in 10 (70%) streaming content in June 2020, compared with 2 in 10 (23%) in 2017.

Their use of subscription or pay-per-view services also increased in 2020, to 61% from 36% in 2017.