Older generation goes mobile
Older Australians look like they are embracing new technology, with nine in ten people aged 70 and over owning a mobile phone.
The figure comes from a survey conducted by National Seniors Australia and Crazy John’s which involved 2,712 people aged 50 and over.
Seventy-eight per cent of participants said they felt safer owning a mobile phone while 72% said it made them feel more connected to their family.
Close to half said mobile phone ownership helped them feel more in touch with technology and over 90% of respondents said they had sent a text message.
However many older Australians believe technology is designed with younger people in mind and 87% said learning about new technology posed a huge challenge. More than half of the survey’s respondents said they sometimes dialled the wrong number because the buttons on their phone were too small.
Chief executive officer of National Seniors Australia, Michael O’Neill, said the survey demonstrated the inaccuracy of prevailing stereotypes which suggest that older people aren’t interested in technology.
“Despite not growing up with technologies such as the Internet and mobile phones, our members have fully embraced them,” Mr O’Neill said.
“It’s just a shame that the majority of technology ignores the needs of seniors.”
Another problem with mobile phones for older users is a lack of education. Almost half of the participants admitting they did not know the purpose of the buttons on their phones.
However 50% said they would use more features on their mobile if someone showed them how.
