Group items tagged

Participation - many are no longer satisfied to just consume the thoughts and opinions of professional experts - but want to be involved in the process of discussing and interacting with the news. Beyond this we’re seeing more and more focus upon citizen journalism where millions of people have the means to engage in the reporting of news - simply by getting their mobile phone out.

Relationality - many of the new forms of media that are emerging not only involve readers in the reporting and interpretation of news - but they create spaces where community springs up around the news and information being shared. People are no longer finding meaning in news alone - but together in social networks. Suspicion of Institution - Government, Church, Big Business and other ‘institutions’ are increasingly being viewed with suspicion. I’m finding in my own daily interactions that more and more people have a growing sense of disillusionment and suspicion of mainstream media outlets and are looking for alternative sources of information.

Customization - we live in an age where we have almost unlimited choice in many areas of our lives. New media allows people to customize the information and news that they want to consume. Using tools like news aggregation they can now choose specific topics that they wish to follow and control when and how they consume it. Immediacy - no longer satisfied to wait for tomorrows paper or tonight’s news broadcast - people are increasingly following events in real time online. While TV and Radio have live coverage of some big events with broad appeal - New Media is light footed, nimble, highly targeted to special interests and quick. Whether it be watching Apple release it’s new iPod live via a blogger at the press event or getting reports and pictures of a natural disaster from a blogger caught up in the middle of the action - new media is increasingly ahead of the rest in getting information out.

ICT can help the elderly to improve their quality of life, stay healthier, live independently for longer and remain active at work or in their community. A wide range of services could be offered to address daily needs such as: • Social communication: easy and continuous access to phone and video conversations, overcoming social isolation;• Daily shopping: easy ordering of goods online for home delivery;• Safety: security systems to lock/unlock entrance doors and windows or to check for water and/or gas leaks, etc or installation of user friendly interfaces for domestic and other appliances;• Health: telemedicine from home, wearable systems for monitoring and diagnosis of individuals with a chronic disease (such as heart disease and diabetes). In many EU countries where over half of people aged 65+ live alone, such technologies can significantly extend the time that elderly people live independently in their own house, while at the same time avoid costs for hospitalisation and provide a basis for additional applications in the future (robotics, embedded systems, biosensors, etc...).

Research shows that only one out of three elderly people (over the age of sixty-five) are using the Internet. As a result, usability is a major issue. Vision along with hearing problems are a major contributor to the uneasiness many older adults feel. In direct correlation, this is one result of the many interfaces of the internet. Therefore, the demands of the new media on older adults are examined along with the physical and psychological changes older adults may have while using the Internet. Lastly, the article provides ideas on how changing interfaces on the internet will put older adults at a great advantage in the new media.

Older people frequently report problems with these tasks because of mobility issues, inconvenience, and fear of crime. Shopping, banking and even taking control of their health-care online, could improve these problems and allow seniors to play a more active role in their own social lives.