Elderly People and the Internet

This entry looks at the reasons for the digital divide between elderly people and younger people and examines research on Internet access among older adults around the world, with a focus on research involving Hong Kong. The digital divide refers to the unequal access to information and communication technology (ICT) found among different social groups, including unequal access based on age. Frequent connection to the Internet has the potential to provide mental and physical health benefits to users, especially for elderly people. However, older adults often reject or are slower to adopt new technologies, so their rates of computer and Internet usage are generally low all around the world.

Many governments have recognized the many benefits of Internet usage and have advocated a series of digital-inclusion ...