Researchers Say Designers Can Help Close Tech Gap

While more older adults than ever are using cell phones and computers, a technology gap still exists that threatens to turn senior citizens into second-class citizens, according to Florida State University researchers and published in Current Directions in Psychological Science.

Neil Charness, PhD, the William G. Chase Professor of Psychology, and Walter R. Boot, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology, found that both the attitudes and abilities of older adults pose barriers to adopting new forms of technology and urged designers to consider those barriers when developing new products.

“The technology gap is a problem because technology, particularly computer and Internet technology, is becoming ubiquitous, and full participation in society becomes more difficult for those without such access,” says Charness.

From booking airline tickets to seeking healthcare information, almost everything is easier, cheaper or faster online. Older adults who may be less mobile in particular stand to benefit from innovations such as online banking. But there is a sharp decline in Internet use after the age of 65, the researchers say, citing a 2007 Pew Tracking Survey that showed 85% of adults in 18-24, 25-34, and 35-44 age groups used the Internet. By contrast, only 39% of adults aged 65 to 74, and 24% of adults aged 75 to 84 were Internet users.

Declining cognitive processes, decreased memory capacity and difficulty maintaining attention—all part of the normal aging process—can make it difficult for seniors to learn new skills. In fact, Charness says, it takes older adults roughly twice as long as younger people to learn a new word processor under self-paced learning conditions. That’s true even for older adults who have prior experience with another word processor.

Seniors quite literally perceive new technology differently than younger adults do. Changes in acuity, color perception and susceptibility to glare affect the way they see a computer screen. They also have greater difficulty with fine motor control and coordination. However, knowing these constraints, designers can create better products for older adults, the researchers said. Among their suggestions:

* Create cell phones with simplified menus, large fonts and buttons, and external noise reduction.

* Design Web sites with high contrast backgrounds and text, larger fonts, and minimal scrolling. The sites should provide navigation aids and instructional support.

* Computer games—such as Nintendo’s Brain Age—and software packages that have been developed for and marketed to older adults may also help reverse age-related declines in perceptual and cognitive abilities, the researchers say.

— Source: Florida State University