Over 65s more confident using the internet

A new report has found that older generations have a newfound reliance on the internet and more confidence in using technology.

The Avast Digital Citizenship Report looked into “digital literacy” and found that across age ranges, roughly one in five people, including 18% of people over the age of 65, felt more confident using the internet because they had to rely on it during lockdowns. Just 7% said they now find it hard to use the internet.

According to the American Library Association, digital literacy is “the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.” Digital literacy is not just reading and writing online, but the ability to find information, use critical thinking skills to evaluate the credibility of the information, create new content, and communicate all of that.

Older generations generally struggle when learning how to use new technologies; and while younger generations that have grown up with these technologies can readily use them, they often need more support in understanding the long-term consequences of their digital activities. However, its apparent that all users seem to have a difficult time distinguishing legitimate information from misinformation.

Freya spoke to Catherine Knibbs, author, psychotherapist and clinical doctoral researcher.