Interviewing Older Men Online

Abstract

There is a well-rehearsed argument that we are fast approaching a digital divide, of users and non-users of the Internet (Wang et al., 2011). Moreover, the low use of the Internet by older people has been described as a ‘grey digital divide’ (Millward, 2003). This may be explained by the fact that many retired people today lived the majority of their lives without the Internet. However, writing this chapter in 2012, it is apparent that older people are making the digital conversion in ever increasing numbers. It is estimated that around 40 per cent of people aged 65+ use the Internet across industrialized countries, with figures ranging from 38 per cent in Sweden and 39 per cent in New Zealand (Centre for Digital Future, 2009), to 41 per cent in the United Kingdom (Ofcom, 2010), 42 per cent for the United States and 45 per cent in Canada (Centre for Digital Future, 2009). Moreover, older people are the fastest growing segment of Internet users, as numbers of younger age groups appear to plateau (ABS, 2005). Data from the United Kingdom show that older people use the Internet in similar ways to younger age groups (ONS, 2011). There is also evidence to suggest that older people join online support groups (Pfeil and Zaphiris, 2009) and that the volume of such interaction is steadily increasing (Nimrod, 2009).