Could tablets help older people Spring Online?
During Spring Online week thousands of free taster events and sessions are held by volunteers and organisations across the UK to help and inspire local people, particularly older people, to use the internet.
Last year’s campaign helped more than 20,000 people to get online, with one in three Spring Online events involving a tablet or smartphone. As the combination of tablets and apps is easier to master and use than a PC, particularly for older people, the campaign expects to see an even greater interest in using tablets for 2014.
A YouGov survey at the end of 2013 found that over a third of tablet owners (35%) in the UK are aged over 55 years and new research predicts one of the fastest growths in the tablet audience this year will be among those over 65.
Andrew Harrison, Group CEO of Carphone Warehouse, says: “Getting to grips with technology can be daunting for many older people. They may regard it as too complicated or irrelevant to their lives. But touch screens and apps can really help, as they are intuitive to use and easy to understand. We’re looking forward to showing more people how they can help to keep in touch with friends and family, save money and pursue hobbies and activities and to share our knowledge and experience to help combat digital and social exclusion.”
More information is available at www.digitalunite.com/spring-online by calling 0800 228 9272 or emailing springonline@digitalunite.com
*eMarketer 2014