Today’s technology is becoming increasingly out of reach for older people – and training may not be able to help.
Research has found that a person’s age, along with their overall cognitive ability, are the most important factors in determining their ability to complete common tasks using a computer.
The study, published in the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, also showed that user interfaces have become too complex for many people and that instruction and practice alone aren’t enough to overcome these barriers.
The researchers say the findings have wide implications for digital equality and that many older people risk being left behind as more and more critical functions move online.
Professor Antti Oulasvirta, co-author of the study, says website and software designers need to take this into account when designing user interfaces, or entire sections of the population will be locked out of daily life.
“It is clear that differences between individuals cannot be eliminated simply by means of training; in the future, user interfaces need to be streamlined for simpler use,” he says.
“This age-old goal has been forgotten at some point, and awkwardly designed interfaces have become a driver for the digital divide.
“We cannot promote a deeper and more equal use of computers in society unless we solve this basic problem.”
What did they actually find?
The results are concerning, but the study only looked at a very small sample size of 88 people, 58 per cent female and 42 per cent male, between the ages of 20 and 65. The sample was split roughly even across three age groups: 20-35, 35-50 and 50-65.
Test subjects were then given 18 different online tasks, and the researchers observed how they performed. Tasks included software installation, applying for a job, creating a survey, navigating using online maps, using a spreadsheet and filling in forms.
The subjects had their education levels and IQs measured via a test before the procedure began, in particular their executive functions, working memory, perceptual reasoning and linguistic abilities.
Subjects then carried out the tasks in a sound-proof room, monitored by their computers and by researchers watching their screen in the room. An eye-tracking machine was also placed next to the computer to record participants’ eye movements. The subjects then completed a survey detailing their feelings about the experience after the task was completed.
Overall, the researchers found that older age was the most significant predictor of poor performance on a given task, closely followed by anyone who measured at the lower end of the cognitive abilities tests.
“Younger participants were better at completing the tasks than older ones were, while the effects of gender and education were non-significant,” the report reads.
“We conclude then that, while demographic factors explained most of the variance, cognitive abilities played a larger role than prior experience in accounting for success in completing the tasks.”
Or put more positively, while older people may be worse with tech in general, those with sound cognitive abilities should still be able to handle digital technology.
But it’s also no secret that getting older can come with cognitive decline, so the results show a clear need for web and software designers to reconsider the usability of their user interfaces, otherwise we risk alienating large sections of the community.
“We conclude that improving user interfaces is critical for attempts to guarantee that the benefits of computing are spread equally,” the report says.
“Making computers more available or training people to use them, alone, will not suffice if the user interfaces pose high cognitive demands.”
How would you rate your computer abilities? Do you think they’ve improved or worsened with age? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: Why do older people fall for Facebook scams?
I think my computer abilities are above average but I frequently run into difficulties with the ever more complex log in procedures many sites are adopting.
I understand that this is for security reasons but there needs to be a better, simpler way developed.
I cannot remember a multitude of user names, passwords and pin numbers so I generally use the same ones for multiple sites and even then if any are different I run into problems. I am sure many others are in the same boat.
Then there is navigating the sites on top of that. Some are fairly easy and some are not.
Interesting, I’m 75 and apparently don’t count. I’ve just changed over to a computer that was given to me as it’s only 4 years old and had been used for gaming but wasn’t wanted any more. I managed to clear the games and other miscellaneous stuff off the 2 drives and reset it for what I’m interested in which mostly includes graphics and a spreadsheet for my budget among other things. My computer is nearly 20 years old but has been updated -by me- with interior components as they were needed. I probably won’t be able to do that with this one as the inside tech has changed a great deal. I also had to change my email as my internet provider has decided not to do email any more and that was a BIG pain on some sites which seem to have no simple way of doing this. In fact in some cases I had to phone or message the companies to have it changed. I can get round most things and I’m 75!!! How come they didn’t include my age group in their survey? By the way there is nothing wrong with writing your passwords in an address book and keep it in a drawer, probably safer than using the same one for everything.
Did I forget to mention I’m female?
Absolutely agree. I can do most things, but some sites make it so difficult. Maybe not surprisingly I have found the Microsoft site to be the worst of all.
I must admit that I was once the tech guru in our household, but my daughter has taken over – not because of training so much, but because she is using the newer software more. Especially on the phone, which I find so much harder than on the computer, it is all slightly different. I don’t give up though, I’d be lost without my computer.
I have used Apple Macs for many years as my home computer for emails, budgeting, family tree research, bill paying and writing my autobiography, caravan trip documentaries etc and find it quite straight forward. As president of a sporting club which has everything on a Windows based laptop, I still find Microsoft software anything but user friendly and quite often get to the stage of pulling my hair out. I am 76yo and the club members are mostly over 70. Just finding someone with Microsoft knowledge to take over Committee roles is an almost impossible task, yet without someone “having a go”, our 99yo sporting club may sadly fold. Computer training for over 70s is almost non-existent.