Technology and The Elderly: Addressing The Ethical & Social Complexities

Introduction

According to the “Bank My Cell” blog, there are “1 billion more mobile connections than people in the world” (Turner, 2019). This is a community that the older generation has been somewhat outcasted from due to their lack of technological knowledge. We have become so used to growing up with technology we tend not to imagine the idea that we couldn’t use it, it should be our responsibility to help include these people who are not familiar with this technological world.

“Designers and manufacturers are deliberately ignoring the over-50s when creating new products and services. Quite logically, older people choose not to use products that have nothing to offer them” (Panda Security Mediacenter, 2019). In writing a research-based argumentative essay about technology, it is important to consider the potential exclusion of the older generation and the ethical and social complexities that come along with it, while also emphasizing the benefits of technology for their mental health and overall well-being. My project will focus on encouraging the older generation to become more confident and enthused about the computing world and technology. This documentation will address the current barriers they may experience whilst attempting to learn how to use technology, as well as considering the ethical and social complexities that come along with this.

The overall aim of this project is to enthuse the elderly about the use of technology. There are ever-growing advancements in technology that are becoming more integrated into our lives every day, if the older generation shut themselves away from using technology, they will become lost in the technological world. This project will give the older generation a platform specifically tailored to their needs, allowing them to explore a means of self-help and communication that will have a positive impact on their mental health, resulting in an enthusiastic use of technology that they have not experienced before.

The problem

Lack of focus on the elderly

Technology and computing are continuously evolving, and we have become a digital world, a great chunk of this digital world is down to communication and the ability to get information. Results from an article by Quartz (Murphy, 2019) are shown in Figure 1, with this graph you can see that mobile subscriptions are growing faster than the population, according to Gadget cover “we can estimate around 92-95% of millennials in the UK have a smartphone” (Priestley, 2019). In addition, the statistics from tiger mobiles report that of all the phone mobile users in the UK only “about 16% of these people are over the age of 65” (Henshaw, 2019). In comparison to the number of millennials that have and use a smartphone, you can see why logically most new app developers will focus to tailor their products to a younger audience because they are the majority of users. With new smartphones and apps being released so often and with the progression of technology becoming so fast-paced, the older generation tend to be left behind. A reason for this is older people can be difficult to cater for due to their lack of interest and their lack of knowledge about how to approach and use technology especially if they have never used it before.

Barriers

Introduction

In this section, I will explore and highlight some barriers that are have been found to be a common cause for the elderly’s lack of enthusiasm with technology.

Biological Factors

Even if older people are interested in learning new computing skills there are a known number of barriers that present a significant challenge for the older generation. A blog post in Easy Tech Seniors discusses the ‘biological part of the struggle’ of learning new things as we get older. “When our body becomes older our biological processes change and it can affect our brains as well. These changes can affect mental function, even in healthy older people” (EasyTechSeniors, 2019). This shows that there is evidence that suggests that older people find it more challenging to stay focused due to the natural biological factors that come with ageing and therefore can make things like learning how to use technology difficult.

Lack of instructions and guidance

In addition to this another hurdle that discourages older people to use technology is the lack of instructions or the lack of guidance for older less technically minded users. A study into the “Older Adults Perceptions of Technology and Barriers to Interacting with Tablet Computers” found that the lack of instructions had a big negative impact on the user’s attitude to learning new technology. They concluded, “that most of our participants were eager to adopt new technology and willing to learn using a tablet. However, they voiced apprehension about lack of, or lack of clarity in, instructions and support” (Vaportzis, Clausen and Gow, 2017). This is a key factor that needed to be considered whilst developing this project, specifically in the designing process of the user interface. The instructions need to be clear; many people of the older generation are not familiar with technological terms people today are so used to, for example ‘app’, these terms may only confuse the user and discourage them. There must be a noticeable support for the user throughout the use of the application; this should include options that aid any sight or hearing limitations. There also needs to be a consideration that human intervention may be necessary to help guide the user whilst being introduced to the application.

Fear

Some older people will reject digital technology out of fear, Science Daily reported that “fears of getting things wrong when using software are significant factors holding back technology use among older adults “(ScienceDaily, 2018). With not understanding the technology being used this can lead to stress and avoidance of technological devices. The personally held concerns create a large block in people’s minds which make it even harder to approach any sort of learning on how to use applications. According to World Economic Forum “Security and privacy threats fuel fears of technology: Older adults have concerns about new technology’s potential to disrupt their privacy and the potential for invasions of personal and financial security” (Dahlke, Lindeman and Ory, 2019). These concerns also need to be addressed and explained clearly to the older user in a way that does not panic them but leads to an understanding of the control they have on their information, when to share that and who with.

Mental Health

As we get older there are several life changes that can affect our health negatively, especially our mental health. Over the past few years mental health is becoming more of a talking point, Age UK have reported that “nearly half of adults aged 55+ say they have experienced depression and around the same number have suffered with anxiety” (Ageuk.org.uk, 2018). According to the world health organization “older people are more likely to experience events such as bereavement, or a drop in socioeconomic status with retirement. All of these stressors can result in isolation, loneliness or psychological distress in older people, for which they may require long-term care” (Who.int, 2017). As we get older, we must be aware that our mental well-being can have just the same effect on our lives than our physical wellbeing and this is an area which could be improved with the help of technology.

Conclusion

Older people who are computer illiterate or those who suffer from the above barriers do need specific guidance and help when it comes to learning how to work technology. However, this should not be a community that is forgotten about but encouraged, to join in the movement with the advancements in technology. This project aims to provide a starting point for users to encourage them to overcome their “computer anxiety” (Igi-global.com, 2019) whilst benefiting from the positive effect applications can have on their health.

Current Systems

There are apps that can create new ways of introducing technology into the lives of older people, and I have chosen a few I believe are relevant to my topic and could help with my design. “Easy Tablet Help for Seniors” is an app which gives easy step-by-step instructions to train older people how to use tablets. The instructions are presented in large text and simple language, many of the instructions are paired with images of applications that aids the understanding. This is an approach that will be incorporated into the project, as older people will need clear precise instructions to fully grasp what is going on and how the app works.

Another application that influenced the project was “Mobile age”; this is a platform specifically made for older people to encourage their social health. It allows them to have profiles and explore events near them. It includes features that they believed to be most relevant, for example on the map of events it clearly marks transport locations as well as toilet and benches. Any event they do choose to attend is in a calendar and this reminds them. There are a number of these features’ considerations for their needs specifically that the final project will plan to include.

“Panion” is an application that allows you to meet people with the same interests, it gives you the opportunity to make new friends and gives you the option to meet people in your area. This is an app has a positive focus of joining strangers together, I believe this is something that older people suffering from loneliness would benefit from.

From my research, I can see that applications targeted to the older generation have a simple interface with clear information, I have also found that there are a limited number of apps which are specifically catered to the older generation which encourage communication using technology. There are a number This is something I hope to present in my own application.

Target Audience

My primary target audience will be members of the older generation who may not have many social connections and people who do not have the chance to converse with people every day. A number of studies have revealed that a lack of social interaction can cause a major decline in health. Art and Healing report that “Health risks associated with loneliness and social isolation are comparable to the dangers of smoking and obesity, increasing mortality risk by up to 30%” (The UnLonely Project, n.d.). Using an example of the user Margret as a use case who is retired and does not socialize as often as did when she worked in her local shop. “As Margret recently retired retail worker, I want to be notified of local knitting events, so that I can socialize with others who enjoy knitting like me.”

My secondary target audience are older people who may struggle from mental health issues like anxiety or depression. According to the Mental health Foundation, “older people are much more vulnerable to factors that lead to depression, such as: being widowed” (Mental Health Foundation, 2019). As an example, we will use Molly who recently lost her husband and has struggled to come to terms with it. “As Molly a recent widow, I have become quite depressed, I would like to be able to make new friends who feel the same way I do.''

My third target audience are users who aim to become more social and to use the technology offered to them, allowing them to have the same social benefit most others have from social profiles. Using the example of a grandfather wanting to be more in tune with his teenage sons’ interests. “As a grandfather, I would like to be able to get as much joy out of my tablet as my grandson does, I want to be able to have my own social profile online so that I can show him that I am not too old for technology.”

Social Considerations

Mobiles and other technologies are a huge way in which the world today communicates. The older generation would greatly benefit from the social aspects’ technology has to offer. This would be hugely impactful for older people who maybe do not have many friends or family and may help with the loneliness and isolation that some older people struggle with. A study reported on Cyberpsychology Behav Soc Network was able to show that there is a direct with loneliness and technology. “greater technology use was associated with lower loneliness, correlation better health, fewer chronic illnesses, and lower depression.” 

With technology progressing its impact on the lives of people is undeniable. If older people need to become a part of this movement of technology, they need to have some idea of what is going on. I need to consider that if they are new to learning technology, there may be a need to have human interaction and support at the beginning to show users how to use apps or functions within the apps. The users may need clear instructions from someone who is present beside them to provide support, and guidance and answer any questions when first using the device.

Ethical Considerations

There are also several concerns surrounding the ethical considerations. It is easy to create profiles and pretend to be someone you are not online. With learning how to use apps and technology older people need to be taught about internet safety. Internet safety is a huge scare factor for the elderly, when older people are learning to use technology a huge emphasis should be put on internet safety, especially when communicating with strangers online and knowing about the privacy of their information. Cardi’s research into Older people and technology: some ethical considerations reported that “Older people must fully understand their role and their contribution to technological development, Informed consent must be paramount for older people in technological trials and usage; and technology developers and service providers must understand older people’s expectations.” 

This is something that needs to be considered throughout the project, I need to ensure that there is data protection and confidentiality within the use of the app. The users should have the option to create a profile and be able to stay anonymous to other users. This will give the users the power and responsibility of their own privacy of information, allowing them to share what they feel is necessary for example their full real name.