Centre for Policy on Ageing



Who can afford computers?
Author(s)	Claudine McCreadie, Rachel Stuchbury
Journal title	Working with Older People, vol 10, issue 4, December 2006
Pages	pp 15-18
Keywords	Information technology ; Computers ; Income [older people] ; Living patterns ; Social surveys.
Annotation	The convenience of shopping online or keeping in touch with relatives brings a multitude of social and mental benefits for silver surfers. The authors of this article question the relevance of income to older people's ownership of modern technology. They use data from the General Household Survey (GHS) 2004/05 to ascertain ownership of: consumer durables by older households with an income of £300-£500 a week; and DVD player or personal computer by income group and age. They conclude that ownership of a personal computer and the associated access to the internet as being increasingly a "normal" part of daily living, but very much related to age and income: those aged 80+ in the top income group (weekly income £500+) are 10 times more likely to own a computer than those in the lowest income group (weekly income less than £300). While libraries and adult education make access to computers and the internet possible, access to transport is necessary, too, for those without access at home. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-070130202 A
Classmark	UVB: 3O: JF: K7: 3F
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.