EuroPCom 2012
3rd European Conference on Public Communication
Workshop D 2: Communicating with senior generations
17 October 2012
New media in the hands of old people: Five myths
Prof. dr. Eugène Loos
University of Amsterdam / ASCoR
Myth 1: The use of new media is a hype that will pass as fast
as it came.
No historical evidence for this myth. L’histoire se répète
(Rogers Adoption/ Innovation curve):
Myth 2: Younger people are digital natives and older people are
digital immigrants in their own country.
No empirical evidence for a an ever-widening generational
digital divide between digital natives and digital immigrants.
A far more accurate description is that of a digital spectrum.
Myth 3: The generation of senior citizens having problems with
new media will automatically die out soon.
Life expectancy has grown. So it will still take years before the
present generation of senior citizens with difficulties using the
new media has gone.
Media are also subject to development and new media continue
to evolve.
Myth 4: Senior generations can not learn to use new media.
Digital literacy: for all generations
Video: ‘Introducing the book’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX0-nqRmtos
Myth 5: Age is the explanatory variable for differences in
information search behaviour.
The role of factors such as socialization, life course, education
and internet experience is at least as important as age.
Heatmap older people
Heatmap younger people
Heatmap older people
using internet daily
Aim: Future policy should be targeted at ensuring the
availability of accessible information sources for citizens,
whether young or old.
Towards …
designing for dynamic diversity
+
digital literacy
for all generations