Mapping Elderly Citizen's Computer and ICT Use in a Small-sized Norwegian Municipality

In Norway, many citizens’ services are exclusively or at least delivered online. They usually require sufficient knowledge to use information and communication technologies (ICT). As part of an Interreg IV European project focused on e-inclusion for elderly, this work presents a study to map computer and Internet use among the elderly. The study was carried out in a small municipality of 10 000 inhabitants in Southern Norway, of whom15% were 65-year-olds or older. 178 replies out of 500 were obtained. Results showed that 9 out of 10 had access to and frequently used a computer at home. However, there still was 1 out of 5 who did not make effective use of ICT. Importantly, half of the respondents reported to have learned how to use the Internet through attending specific courses and others through guidance from relatives or acquaintances. Answers about monitoring technologies were practically oriented towards considering that topics, such as security and privacy, could have a subordinate role if the technology was used for a good and fair purpose. This work provides an insight into the current access to and use of computer and Internet, which becomes useful to inform ICT use policies among elderly population.