Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea (대한인간공학회지)

Ergonomics Society of Korea (대한인간공학회)
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A Study on the Adult Internet Usage and an Effective Alternative for the Elderly Internet Users in the Aging Society

노인층을 포함한 성인들의 인터넷 이용실태 조사 및 고령화 사회의인터넷 사용자를 위한 효과적 대안

  • Kwak, Ji-Sun (Advanced EMU Research Team, Korea Railroad Research Institute) ;
  • Park, Min‐Yong (Department of Industrial Engineering, Hanyang University)
  • Published : 2006.11.30
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Abstract

Although population of the elderly is increasing rapidly, the older adults are the least users of the Internet in Korea. Prior research suggests that older adults are physically and psychologically disadvantaged when using the Internet. With the existence of the digital divide over different age groups, the objectives of this study were to identify the current status of Internet usage of Korean adults and to suggest some alternatives for solving digital divide on Internet usage. A total of 654 Korean adults, including the elderly, participated in both on-line and off-line (on-site interview) surveys using structured questionnaires. The results of statistical analyses indicated that the gap between the percentages of Internet users in younger and older groups was significantly wide, though many older adults had strong interests of Internet. To reduce this gap on digital divide, with an appropriate help from family and government, several characteristics of the elderly should be considered in designing some age-related web sites. Some effective alternatives suggested in this study may be used as basic data for universal design of Internet-oriented software.

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References

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