Older people still missing out on Internet use
27/08/2010
More than nine million UK adults have never used the Internet, according to
figures released today (27 August 2010) by the Office for National Statistics - and two thirds of them are aged 65 and over.
This compares with just over 38 million UK adults who were Internet users,
and of those, just over 30 million accessed the Internet every day or
almost every day.
People who were more likely to have never used the Internet were the over
65s, the widowed, those on low incomes and those with no formal
qualifications. And age is the single biggest factor of these: the majority (60 per cent) of those aged 65 and over have never used the Internet, compared with 22 per cent of those aged between 55 and 64 and a mere one per cent of 16 to 24 year olds.
Adults aged 65 and over make up almost two thirds (64 per cent) of those individuals who have never accessed the Internet.
The Internet Access survey of households and individuals, which measures
home access to the Internet and individuals’ use of the Internet across the
UK showed that in 2010:
· 19.2 million households (73 per cent) had Internet access, an
increase of 0.9 million on the previous year and an increase of 5 million
since 2006
· 31 per cent of Internet users connected via a mobile phone, up from
23 per cent in 2009
· 31 million people bought or ordered goods or services online in the
last 12 months
· 98 per cent of people with an income over £41,600 had used the
Internet. The rate of Internet use decreased in line with income: 69 per
cent of adults with an income of less than £10,399 had used the Internet
· 45 per cent of adults without any formal qualifications had used the
Internet, compared with 97 per cent of those with a degree
Mark Williams from the Office for National Statistics said: "Since 2006 we have seen a significant increase in the number of people using the Internet, with the number of adults accessing the Internet every day almost doubling to just over 30 million, though the UK is some way off from being completely online. Usage is closely linked with a number of socio-economic and demographic indicators with those less educated and on lower incomes less likely to access the web.
‘We have also seen changes in the way people connect and in the frequency
of connection, with 31 per cent of Internet users connecting via a mobile
phone in 2010 compared with 23 per cent in 2009. The use of wi-fi hotspots
continued to rise with 2.7 million people (7 per cent of Internet users)
used wireless hotspots at locations such as cafes, restaurants, and
hotels.’
Other findings in the survey showed that just over 17 million adults
watched television or listened to the radio over the Internet, with men
more likely to do this, at 52 per cent, compared with 39 per cent of women.
Many of these used on-demand services such as BBC iPlayer or ITV Player.
London was once again the region with the highest level of household
Internet connections, at 83 per cent. The North East had the lowest at 59
per cent.
Tony Watts, editor of Mature Times, comments: "While these figures come as no surprise to us - in fact they confirm research we have carried out in conjunction with the Oxford Internet Institute - they highlight the growing 'digital divide' between over 65s and the rest of the population, and this will have increasingly important implications as our society continues to shift inexorably towards dependence for services, information and support based on the web.
"The Government is continuing to push the 'Digital Britain' and 'Transformational Government' agendas, and increasingly using the Internet as their interface of choice with citizens. We fully support those intentions, but that leaves some six million older people effectively 'cut off'.
"Moreover, all the feedback we receive at the paper is that while there is a large cohort of older people keen to embrace the web, many have set their faces against it - despite the fact that it can bring huge benefits. Internet shopping, researching their interests, skypeing with relatives and friends all around the world... all of these can help fend off loneliness and boredom, and enable them to enjoy the discounts and bargains available online.
"Making web access easier, running more courses, making simple equipment available in sheltered housing developments and drop in centres... all of these can play a big part in encouraging the older generation to 'give it a go'."