Not like riding a bike: Why some older people stop using the internet

This Age UK report highlights the findings from surveys and follow-up interviews undertaken to understand the reasons why a certain percentage of older people have stopped using the internet.

The report additionally presents a list of recommendations and actions that Age UK, employers and training providers could implement, such as:

• Investment in services that enable older people to maintain and learn new digital skills
• Maximising digital skills whilst still in work
• Ensuring that products and services are accessible to older people and those with health conditions and disabilities
• Tackling wider barriers that deter older people from using technology

The report provides usage statistics based on:

• The number of people that have used the internet by age
• Reasons for not using the internet in the last 3 months
• Factors that would encourage lower use of the internet - these include not having a device, not knowing how to use or keep up with the technology and concern about scams

The reports describes in more detail each factor that deters people from using the internet, presenting the qualitative findings from the interviews to show the effect of each.