The majority of older Australians would like to use the internet more. They prefer to learn face to face with family, friends and colleagues.
Older Australians’ attitudes
- 6/10 limit learning new digital skills to only necessary tasks
- 4/10 forget how to do things on devices because of irregular use
- 3/10 don’t like experimenting with new tasks because they end up having to ask for help
Older Australians’ motivations
7/10 with low or no digital literacy skills want face-to-face help.
Top three preferred training methods:
- 26% - family, friends and colleagues
- 24% - one-on-one classes in person
- 23% - group classes or face to face
The desire to increase internet use decreases with age:
- 76% - 50 to 69 years old
- 67% - 70+ years old
Older Australians prefer to learn from someone they know however many reported that often loved ones do not understand how hard it is for them to learn new skills and that they can be impatient with them, leading to further anxiety and frustration.
1 in 2 think they will participate in the Be Connected initiative
53% are likely to use the portal:
- 46% to learn something new
- 22% to keep up with tech skills
- 13% a good source of help
- 10% ease of accessing training online
43% are unlikely to use the portal:
- 28% believe their current skills are sufficient
- 25% distrust the internet
- 22% prefer traditional methods
- 20% see no need
BeConnected.esafety.gov.au
Source: Research commissioned by eSafety, May to June 2017. Respondents comprised 3,602 adults aged 50 years and over in Australia.
