Thai Elderly Behavior of Internet Use

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to investigate the current status of internet use of elderly and to explore their opinions toward factors associated with internet use. The study was conducted with 385 elderly living in Khon Khaen Municipality, Khon Khaen Province. The questionnaire was used to collect data and 238 questionnaires were returned (61.8%). The data were analyzed by percentage, mean, standard deviation, Z-test and Chi-Square. The finding revealed that most elderly did not use the Internet (80.7%). Numbers of female elderly who did not use the Internet were higher than male ones while the majority of elderly who were older than 70 years of age did not use the Internet at all. For the elderly group who used internet: frequency of internet use was not stable (4.2%), about ½ hour each time (39.4%), mostly in the early evening (36.4%), using internet at their own homes (81.8%). The main purposes of internet use were for entertainment (57.6%), followed by for accessing information (51.5%). The internet activities used were entertainment activities such as watching video (60.6%), followed by searching for information (57.6%). The elderly used internet alone was equal to used it with family members (48.5%). The reasons of internet use were that internet could be used to access all sorts of information (63.6%), followed that internet was a quick and easy communication (51.5%). The problems in using internet were (1) getting trouble with eye pain, (2) lacking techniques and skills for information searching, and (3) no computers at home. For the opinions of elderly toward factors associated with internet use: the study results revealed aspects that influences their uses of the Internet e.g. skillfulness of using mouse and keyboard, having experience using the Internet, always want to learn something new and a reasonable cost of the Internet. When comparing opinions of male and female elderly and between the elderly with different age range, it was found that there was no difference about the above mentioned aspects.