For older people, "Digital Autonomy" is the ability to retain awareness and control over their own affairs in the digital space. This is a concern because of the perceived lack of digital skills and access among many older people at a time when both business and government are moving more goods and services to an exclusively digital delivery model. The consequence of this is that, without adequate skills and access, older people may be forced to rely on others to manage their interactions in the digital space. This reduces their independence and puts at risk their autonomy, their finances and their health.
Examples of goods and services moving exclusively online abound, and include:
- Banks closing branches and encouraging online access.
- Government closing service offices and encouraging secure-ID transactions
- Social clubs only interacting with their members online
- Employers refusing to pay cash
- Stores refusing to accept cash
- Businesses closing stores and moving exclusively to online shopping and delivery models.
The above examples are all the result of seeking more cost-efficient service models, which as a consequence reduce the ability of older people to deal with people face-to- face or conduct their affairs without resort to the digital domain.
An example would be Margie who lives in rural NSW. She does not trust the security of online banking. Her bank closed the branch in her town several years ago, so she has been forced to drive to the nearest branch to access her funds. Recently, the bank has conducted further amalgamations, so Margie has had to drive further and further to find an open bank branch. Recent medical circumstances mean that she is not allowed to drive for six months. Consequently, Margie now depends on her son to access her bank account online because she does not have the skills to do so herself. She is not comfortable having someone else managing her money but has not alternative. Margie has effectively lost her digital autonomy.
As noted earlier, digital autonomy is a function of both skills and access. Access is itself a function of having the required equipment, the networks to access, and the financial resources to make it feasible.
Skills
A 2018 Australian Government Report (here) found that digital skills for Australians over 50 years were as follow:
- 36 percent - Higher Levels (relative to others in their age range). They performed online transactions at least once per week.
- 31 percent - Moderate. They performed online transactions less frequently than once per week.
- 26 percent - Low. They performed online activities no more than once per month
- 8 percent - Digitally Disengaged. Non-internet users who never perform online activities.
The survey also found that people in this age group overwhelmingly preferred offline training in digital skills.
Access
Beyond the physical and financial aspects, the result of the earlier survey suggests that making the digital space more appealing for older people might encourage those who use it rarely to broaden and make more frequent their usage (beyond checking Facebook for family photos) and move from activities to transactions.
Equipment
Buying and maintaining the equipment to access the internet costs money, which pensioners and others on low incomes may not be able to prioritise. Without personal access, people may lose whatever digital skills they have and may become increasingly isolated. Their inability to access services and support online may affect both their physical and mental health.
Networks
Living in rural or remote Australia, or in areas with poor phone or NBN connectivity will restrict people's ability to access online services and resources. This is particularly serious when, as in the case study, services in regional areas are cut back due to increasing servicing costs.
Financial Resources
The Age Pension already includes a supplement to support increasing costs for utilities and similar infrastructure costs. However, it does not consider the costs of obtaining and maintaining internet access at home. This needs to be addressed.
So what can we do?
The first step towards keeping your digital autonomy is to improve your digital skills. The Australian Government runs the Be Connected program to assist older people to build their digital skills. In person training is delivered through partners throughout the country. You can find the program at https://beconnected.esafety.gov.au
The next step is to find an internet provider and plan that suits your needs.
There are a number of comparison sites that will help you choose. For example, https://www.comparebroadband.com.au/seniors-plans/
Finally, ensure that you keep your computer and your phone up to date with security and other updates as required. This will assist you to remain safe online.
