Hostname: page-component-69cd664f8f-p7d4h Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-03-13T10:13:42.183Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Digital inclusion in later life: cohort changes in internet use over a ten-year period in England

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 August 2018

KATEY MATTHEWS ,
JAMES NAZROO  and
ALAN MARSHALL
KATEY MATTHEWS*
Affiliation:
Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research, University of Manchester, UK.
JAMES NAZROO
Affiliation:
Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research, University of Manchester, UK.
ALAN MARSHALL
Affiliation:
Department of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, UK.
*
Address for correspondence: Katey Matthews, CMIST, University of Manchester, Humanities Bridgeford Street Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK E-mail: katey.matthews@manchester.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The ability to use the internet frequently is likely to provide a useful means of engaging with society and using services in later life, yet older people are the most likely to suffer digital exclusion, with those of the oldest ages at the greatest risk. Using six waves (2002–2012) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, we model cohort-specific patterns of frequent internet use for people aged 50 and over. Multi-level growth models are used to observe trajectories of internet use over the ten-year period. Firstly, analyses are stratified by gender and wealth, and secondly we additionally test for health effects. The study finds cohort-specific differences in patterns of internet use. Rates of internet use increase faster among younger cohorts yet, despite initially increasing, begin to decline among older cohorts. Poor health is shown to be a key factor in shaping the trajectory of internet use over time. Rates of internet use are consistently lower for women than men and for those in poorer financial circumstances, independently of age cohort. The findings demonstrate the importance of ensuring older people can remain digitally included throughout later life, including after the onset of poorer health, especially as some of these individuals might benefit the most from some of the services the internet can provide.

Keywords

internet usedigital exclusioncohort analysishealth effectswealthgender
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 39 , Issue 9 , September 2019 , pp. 1914 - 1932
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bell, A. and Jones, K. 2014. Another ‘futile quest’? A simulation study of Yang and Land's Hierarchical Age–Period–Cohort model. Demographic Research, 30, 11, 333–60.Google Scholar
Blank, G. and Groselj, D. 2014. Dimensions of Internet use: amount, variety, and types. Information, Communication & Society, 17, 4, 417–35.Google Scholar
Bound, J. 1989. The Health and Earnings of Rejected Disability Insurance Applicants. The American Economic Review, 79, 3, 482–503.Google Scholar
Chandola, T., Ferrie, J., Sacker, A. and Marmot, M. 2007. Social inequalities in self reported health in early old age: follow-up of prospective cohort study. BMJ, 334, 7601, 990–7.Google Scholar
Chang, J., McAllister, C. and McCaslin, R. 2015. Correlates of, and barriers to, Internet use among older adults. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 58, 1, 66–85.Google Scholar
Charness, N. and Boot, W. 2009. Aging and information technology use: potential and barriers. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18, 5, 253–8.Google Scholar
Cheshire, H., Hussey, D., Phelps, A. and Wood, N. 2012. Methodology. In Banks, J., Nazroo, J. and Steptoe, A. (eds), The Dynamics of Ageing: Evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (Wave 5). The Institute for Fiscal Studies, London, 183–213.Google Scholar
Choi, R., Kong, S. and Jung, D. 2012. Computer and internet interventions for loneliness and depression in older adults: a meta-analysis. Healthcare Informatics Research, 18, 3, 191–8.Google Scholar
Cornwell, B., Laumann, E. O. and Schumm, L. P. 2008. The social connectedness of older adults: a national profile. American Sociological Review, 73, 2, 185–203.Google Scholar
Cotten, S., Anderson, W. and McCullough, B. 2013. Impact of internet use on loneliness and contact with others among older adults: cross-sectional analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 15, 2, e39.Google Scholar
Cotten, S., Ford, G., Ford, S. and Hale, T. 2014. Internet use and depression among retired older adults in the United States: a longitudinal analysis. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 69B, 5, 763–71.Google Scholar
Dutton, W., Helsper, E. and Gerber, M. 2009. The Internet in Britain: 2009. Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford.Google Scholar
Elliot, A., Mooney, C., Douthit, K. and Lynch, M. 2014. Predictors of older adults’ technology use and its relationship to depressive symptoms and well-being. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 69B, 5, 667–77.Google Scholar
Eynon, R. and Helsper, E. 2011. Adults learning online: digital choice and/or digital exclusion? New Media & Society, 13, 4, 534–51.Google Scholar
Freese, J., Rivas, S. and Hargittai, E. 2006. Cognitive ability and Internet use among older adults. Poetics, 34, 4, 236–49.Google Scholar
Friemel, T. 2016. The digital divide has grown old: determinants of a digital divide among seniors. New Media & Society, 18, 2, 313–31.Google Scholar
Gilleard, C. and Higgs, P. 2008. Internet use and the digital divide in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. European Journal of Ageing, 5, 3, 233–9.Google Scholar
Green, M. and Rossall, P. 2013. Digital inclusion evidence review. Age UK Digital Inclusion Evidence Report, Age UK, London.Google Scholar
Hill, R., Betts, L. and Gardner, S. 2015. Older adults’ experiences and perceptions of digital technology: (dis)empowerment, wellbeing, and inclusion. Computers in Human Behavior, 48, issue C, 415–23.Google Scholar
Hill, R., Beynon-Davies, P. and Williams, M. 2008. Older people and internet engagement: acknowledging social moderators of internet adoption, access and use. Information Technology & People, 21, 3, 244–66.Google Scholar
Lelkes, O. 2013. Happier and less isolated: internet use in old age. Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, 21, 1, 33–46.Google Scholar
Marshall, A., Nazroo, J., Tampubolon, G. and Vanhoutte, B. 2015. Cohort differences in the levels and trajectories of frailty among older people in England. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 69, 4, 316–21.Google Scholar
Matthews, K. and Nazroo, J. 2016. Understanding Digital Engagement in Later Life. Report for the Department of Culture, Media & Sport. Available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/understanding-digital-engagement-in-later-life. Accessed March 2017.Google Scholar
Morris, M., Adair, B., Ozanne, E, Kurowski, W., Miller, K., Pearce, A., Santamaria, N., Long, M., Ventura, C. and Said, C. 2014. Smart technologies to enhance social connectedness in older people who live at home. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 33, 3, 142–52.Google Scholar
Morris, A., Goodman, J. and Brading, H. 2007. Internet use and non-use: views of older users. Universal Access in the Information Society, 6, 1, 43–57.Google Scholar
Mossey, J.M. and Shapiro, E. 1982. Self-rated health: a predictor of mortality among the elderly. American Journal of Public Health, 72, 8, 800–8.Google Scholar
Näsi, M., Räsänen, P. and Sarpila, O. 2012. ICT activity in later life: Internet use and leisure activities amongst senior citizens in Finland. European Journal of Ageing, 9, 2, 169–76.Google Scholar
Neves, B. B., Amaro, F. and Fonseca, J. R. 2013. Coming of (old) age in the digital age: ICT usage and non-usage among older adults. Sociological Research Online, 18, 2, 6.Google Scholar
Neves, B. B., Franz, R. L., Munteanu, C., Baecker, R. and Ngo, M. 2015. My hand doesn't listen to me! Adoption and evaluation of a communication technology for the'oldest old’. In Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. ACM, 1593–602.Google Scholar
Office for National Statistics 2014. Internet Access Quarterly Update 2014 Q1. Statistical Bulletin, Office for National Statistics, London.Google Scholar
Raudenbush, S. and Chan, W. 1992. Growth curve analysis in accelerated longitudinal designs. Journal of Research in Crime Delinquency, 29, 4, 387–411.Google Scholar
Sayago, S., Sloan, D. and Blat, J. 2011. Everyday use of computer-mediated communication tools and its evolution over time: an ethnographical study with older people. Interacting with Computers, 23, 5, 543–54.Google Scholar
Selwyn, N., Gorard, S., Furlong, J. and Madden, L. 2003. Older adults’ use of information and communications technology in everyday life. Ageing & Society, 23, 5, 561–82.Google Scholar
Shillair, R., Rikard, R., Cotten, S. and Tsai, H. 2015. Not so lonely surfers: loneliness, social support, Internet use and life satisfaction in older adults. In iConference 2015 Proceedings. Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/2142/73666. Accessed March 2017.Google Scholar
Stern, M. J. 2010. Inequality in the internet age: a twenty-first century dilemma. Sociological Inquiry, 80, 1, 28–33.Google Scholar
Sum, S., Mathews, R. M., Hughes, I. and Campbell, A. 2008. Internet use and loneliness in older adults. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 11, 2, 208–11.Google Scholar
van Deursen, A. and Helsper, E. 2015. A nuanced understanding of Internet use and non-use among the elderly. European Journal of Communication, 30, 2, 171–87.Google Scholar
van Deursen, A. and van Dijk, J. 2011. Internet skills and the digital divide. New Media & Society, 13, 6, 893–911.Google Scholar
Wei, L. 2012. Number matters: the multimodality of internet use as an indicator of the digital inequalities. Journal of Computer-mediated Communication, 17, 3, 303–18.Google Scholar
White, H., McConnell, E., Clipp, E., Branch, L. G., Sloane, R., Pieper, C. and Box, T. L. 2002. A randomized controlled trial of the psychosocial impact of providing internet training and access to older adults. Aging & Mental Health, 6, 3, 213–21.Google Scholar
Yang, Y. 2007. Is old age depressing? Growth trajectories and cohort variations in late life depression. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour, 48, 1, 16–32.Google Scholar
Yu, R., Ellison, N., McCammon, R. and Langa, K. 2015. Mapping the two levels of digital divide: Internet access and social network site adoption among older adults in the USA. Information, Communication & Society, 19, 10, 1–20.Google Scholar
Zheng, R., Spears, J., Luptak, M., and Wilby, F. 2015. Understanding older adults’ perceptions of internet use: an exploratory factor analysis. Educational Gerontology, 41, 7, 504–18.Google Scholar