Essay Draft Two

Information and communication technology (ICT), particularly the internet, has become increasingly ubiquitous in the social context in recent decades. Singapore has emerged among the leading countries that has outstanding ICT infrastructure (World Economic Forum, 2014). However, the utilization of internet among the elderly is relatively low. According to the figures in year 2012 provided by Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) (n.d.a), only 16% of the elderly aged 60 years and above had used internet in the previous 12 months compared to 98% of the individuals aged 7 to 34 years. This difference reflects a digital divide in Singapore between the younger and older generations.

Internet provides individuals an avenue for continuing education, personal growth, new social network, hobbies and leisure pursuit, and redefining careers. Elderly who do not engage on internet are deprived from these benefits. In addition, relationships within the family would be jeopardized as there might be a conflicting communication between the younger and the older generations due to the different knowledge capacities in Information Technology (IT) (Lim & Tan, 2003).

Internet allows the elderly to form social networks that can alleviate the possible psychological concerns such as isolation and depression that they might have. A recent research by Michigan State University indicates that internet use can reduce the incidence of depression among the elderly by about 33% (Cotton, Ford, Ford & Hale, 2014). Depression is a major health concern and economic burden. The approximate costs of depression to society in United States are US$100 billion annually in healthcare expenditures and lost incomes and production (Ford & Ford, 2009). Additionally, the economic costs include the missing valuable inputs that senior citizens can contribute to online communities since these people in their golden years have vast amount of knowledge and experience in life.

Due to the economic burden resulting from a deficient usage of internet among the elderly who are mostly ignorant and illiterate in ICT, the IDA should provide infocomm training and digital facility to the elderly, as well as create an extensive digital awareness among the elderly.

To bridge the age digital divide in Singapore, the IDA launched Silver Infocomm Initiative programmes in 2007 to promote IT awareness and knowledge learning among the elderly aged 50 years and beyond (Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, n.d.b). Silver Infocomm Hotspots have been established at various locations such as Community Clubs and Senior Citizen Connect areas to provide the elderly with free access to computer and internet service. Several IT learning hubs termed as the Silver Infocomm Junctions have also been established across the island to provide infocomm training and customised course for the elderly. Through the training, senior citizens learn the basic skills in using a computer and surfing the internet. They also acquire intermediate digital lifestyle skills such as performing online transaction, editing digital photo, and creating social networking.

Since 2007, the Silver Infocomm Initiative had helped many elderlies embrace a digital lifestyle (Chan, 2011). One of the elderlies was 56-year-old Mr Abdul who benefited from the IT course and used social media interfaces such as Facebook and Skype to keep in touch with his children and grandchildren living abroad. Another elderly benefited from the IT course was Madam Cheow Chin Wang, aged 60, who enjoyed a better bond with her grandchildren because she had understood and spoke the similar IT language as them.

Despite the increasing number of elderly adopting to ICT, the proportion of elderly accessing to internet remains comparatively low. The proportion of elderly aged 60 and above who accessed to internet in year 2007 was 12% (National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre, 2009). From year 2007 to 2012, the proportion of elderly accessing to internet merely increased from 12% to 16%. Majority of the elderly were staying offline and their main reasons for not using internet were “lack of knowledge” and “no interest” (Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, 2012). Therefore, publicity is necessary to promote the potential benefits of surfing the internet and the available IT classes in the neighbourhood to the senior citizens. The IDA should organize extensive outreach activities such as exhibitions and practical workshops at void decks across the island. It should also seek traditional digital media such as television and radio to reach out to the senior citizens and convince them to participate in cyberspace. In addition, school should encourage children to share and impart their computer knowledge and skills that they have acquired in school to their grandparents.

Internet is now dominant in the economy, culture and society, used as a tool for personal communication, delivery of public services, and as a vast source of information and entertainment. With substantial effort by the IDA and community to expand internet utility among the elderly, the overall living conditions of the elderly can be improved and the nation can shift ageing from an economic burden to a potentially valuable resource.

 

Reference

Chan, C. S. (2011, September 17). Silver Infocomm Initiative to benefit senior citizens. Retrived October 1, 2014, from http://www.mci.gov.sg/content/mci_corp/web/mci/pressroom/categories/speeches/2011/speech_by_mr_chan_chun_sing_at_the_silver_infocomm_day_2011.mnews.infocomm.html

Cotton, S. R., Ford, G., Ford, S., Hale, T. M. (2014). Internet use and depression among retired older adults in the united states: a longitudinal analysis. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 69(5), 763–771.

Ford, G., Ford, S. (2009, October). Internet use and depression among the elderly. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal & Economic Public Policy Studies website www.phoenix-center.org/pcpp/PCPP38Final.pdf

Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore. (2012). Annual survey on infocomm usage in households and individuals for 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.ida.gov.sg/~/media/Files/Infocomm%20Landscape/Facts%20and%20Figures/SurveyReport/2011/2011%20HH%20mgt%20rpt%20public%20final.pdf

Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore. (n.d.a). Infocomm usage – Households and individuals. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.ida.gov.sg/Infocomm-Landscape/Facts-and-Figures/Infocomm-Usage-Households-and-Individuals#3

Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore. (n.d.b). Silver infocomm junctions and hotspots. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.ida.gov.sg/Individuals-and-Community/Community-Development/Silver-Infocomm-Initiative/Silver-Infocomm-Junctions-and-Hotspots

Lim, S. S. and Tan, Y. L. (2003). Old People And New Media In Wired Societies: Exploring The Socio-Digital Divide In Singapore, Media Asia, 30(2), 95–102.

National Volunteer & Philanthropy Center. (2009, October 7). Fundraising: Research on “donation friendly” website. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://booksreader.net/ppt/salt-survey-2009-nvpc-49557300.html

World Economic Forum. (2014). The global information technology report 2014: The networked readiness index rankings. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.weforum.org/reports/global-information-technology-report-2014