INTERNET USE BY THE OLDER ADULTS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Ageing is becoming a big social issue nowadays. For example, in 2000 the percentage of older individuals aged 65+ years reached 12.4% worldwide. In 2030, this number should rise to 19% and in 2050 to 22%. Therefore, there is a need to prolong an active life of older people, especially by implementing non-pharmacological approaches. Current technological devices and services can assist them in this process. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the use of the Internet among older people in the Czech Republic with respect to their age. The key methods exploited in this study include a questionnaire survey, statistical processing of data collection, as well as evaluation of both empirical and theoretical findings on the research issue. The results indicate that the age is a decisive factor in the use of the Internet by seniors. In fact, the use of the Internet falls with the declining age with the breakthrough age 75+years. Generally, older people use the Internet for communication purposes with the help of e-mail, the most frequent ICT tool for this generation group. Nevertheless, the findings of this study show that the second most common reason for the use of the Internet is the Internet banking, followed by Skype communication and photo sharing. The results also suggest that older people should be trained in the use of the Internet since the training may help them overcome both psychological and social barriers, which represent the constraints in their use of the Internet. Furthermore, seniors could be divided into three basic age groups according to their special needs, which should be considered when designing new technological devices or services for these aging population groups, which could help them to enhance cognitive functions.