[Old and offline? : Findings on the use of the Internet by people aged 65 years and older in Switzerland].
BACKGROUND
The supply of information and communication is becoming continuously more focused on the Internet. While the age groups up to 64 years have shown a vast increase in the use of the Internet since 1997, intensive use of the Internet by age groups above 64 years lags behind and this is not only the case in Switzerland. Against this background and an interest in finding out more about Internet (non)use of older people, two representative surveys were conducted in Switzerland, one in 2009 and another one in 2014.


METHODS
The data used were acquired throughout Switzerland via a standardized telephone survey. The random sample (2014) consisted of 1037 people aged between 65 and 100 years old.


RESULTS
Although the digital divide between the age groups has lessened over the past years, only 55.7 % of the elderly people interviewed were using the Internet in the autumn of 2014. Internet usage differs greatly between age groups. Resources such as education, income and health positively impact actual use of the Internet. Additionally, recommendations from a person's social environment, as well as an affinity for technology and a personal benefit assessment have a positive impact on Internet usage. In particular, security concerns and difficulties of use were mentioned as predominant reasons for the non-use of the Internet. Some of the people questioned felt excluded from society because they did not use the Internet.


CONCLUSIONS
Internet usage among elderly people depends on individual and social resources, as well as on general attitude towards technology and personal benefit expectations. The exclusion of today's elderly "offliners" should be avoided, even if the digital divide will decrease in the future.
Zentrum für Gerontologie, Universität Zürich, Sumatrastr. 30, 8006, Zürich, Schweiz. alexander.seifert@zfg.uzh.ch.|Universitärer Forschungsschwerpunkt (UFSP) "Dynamik Gesunden Alterns", Universität Zürich, Zürich, Schweiz. alexander.seifert@zfg.uzh.ch.
Alexander
A
Seifert
Zentrum für Gerontologie, Universität Zürich, Sumatrastr. 30, 8006, Zürich, Schweiz.
Hans Rudolf
HR
Schelling
D022126:Access to Information; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003197:Computer Literacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D009862:Online Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014600:Utilization Review
Communication and information technology; Elderly; Interview; Media; Technology