The Elderly and the Internet: How Senior Citizens Deal with Online Privacy

The use of the Internet is no longer limited to younger people. Over the past years, more and more elderly people have started using the Internet and today, older persons represent a large group of users that has steadily grown since the year 2000 (Pierce 2009). Although e-mail and search engines are still the most important Internet functions for older people, their use of social media has increased dramatically and nearly doubled from 2009 to 2010 (Madden 2010). While the Internet in general and the Social Web in particular are becoming more important for senior citizens, the question arises of how the older generation deals with privacy online. This chapter analyzes the role of privacy concerns and self-disclosure in seniors’ Internet use. For a better understanding of elderly people’s online behavior, a short overview of their Internet use is presented (Sect. 17.2).