10 March 2003

Past the Post: Executive Briefing by the Hansard Society

The Hansard Society has published a new report - Past the Post: Older People and New Technology - which stems from research investigating what could be learnt about the impact of new technology on the participation of older people in political dialogue.

The report is based on an online consultation conducted between June and July 2002 and a number of visits to groups of older people to observe how they learn to use computers.

An online consultation is a means of providing an all-party group, or other governmental body, with the views and expertise of members of the public, served up directly via a website and concentrated into a short period of time. Conversely, it is an opportunity for the public to speak directly to their legislators about a particular topic of which they have first-hand knowledge.

For the online consultation a website - www.seniorspeak.org - was created and older people, carers and health professionals were invited to post messages and take part in a discussion about long-term care. For the purposes of the study, the actual content of the discussion was important, but not the primary focus. Of more interest, rather was the process through which older people became involved in the consultation.

The observational visits focussed on the behaviour of five groups of older learners at different stages of familiarity with computers. The people taking part represented the full range of experiences, from the "technophobe" to the progressive older learner who was not just familiar with the practice of computer use, but also its underlying concepts.

	1	A platform for communication can work for and between many different groups. Seniorspeak, for example, was designed to transfer opinion from interested public to relevant politicians, with the possibility of questions or comments coming back the other way. Several participants found that they gained more benefit from comparing experiences with others within the group, while some found the information offered on the site the most useful aspect. It is important not to fall into the trap of generalising that 'the internet improves communication' without looking carefully at who is communicating with whom, and what the result of this is.
	2	Computers cannot and should not replace other forms of communication and debate, but complement them.
	3	There is a great desire among older people to have their voices heard, combined with scepticism about the willingness of authorities to listen. Participants in Seniorspeak offered largely favourable feedback about the process of online consultation, and were keenly aware of its particular merits. They pointed out that "anything that keeps politicians in touch with the diversity and confusion of real opinions has to combat simplistic answers", but were also insistent that consultation should only inform the considered decisions of politicians, not replace them with the whims of focus-groups.

The observational visits raised several important points:

	1	Online communication offers the benefit of convenience, by being accessible at potentially unlimited times and locations.
	2	Online forums risk losing the depth of meaning that is conveyed in face-to-face discussion, and therefore some of the richness of experience can be lost. However, experiences in Age Concern's online live chat room showed that small groups are able to build up a strong sense of friendship and community remotely, provided the participants are given time and encouragement.
	3	Introducing computers to older people only works if the new skills tie in with something in which the learner is already interested.
	4	Using computers happens long before understanding them, so 'stealth familiarisation', then continual and repeated support and time are needed before someone can usefully progress as a confident computer user.

Conclusions

This small-scale but detailed research project offered indications for how better to broaden inclusion of all groups into political debate.

Seniorspeak participants themselves pointed out that, for designating a social group, age was a less useful factor than mobility or being a user of particular services. As the population ages, there will be fewer people who are completely unfamiliar with computers, so this group of 'older old people' are those who need particular support with them now.

Older people are prompted to take advantage of computers for a great many reasons, just as they exhibit a variety of motivations for getting involved in the political process. However, once engaged they participated in both computing and political discussion on equal terms with any other groups, and they were equally frustrated if it appeared that other participants in the debate seemed reluctant to take part.

The report recommends that future policy should work closely with groups at the local level who have already developed trusted relationships with older people. Only on this sort of local, rooted relationship can the foundations of computer use be laid. This will help to ensure that voices such as those in Seniorspeak are listened to, and that we learn from, rather than marginalise, the experiences of older people.

Notes:

Melissa McCarthy carried out this research for the Hansard Society.

Past the Post can be obtained from the Hansard Society. For more information see www.hansardsociety.org.uk or telephone +44 (020) 7955 7459.

Past the Post includes contributions from Jack Jones, Emma Aldridge, Eddie O'Hara MP and Dr Richard Taylor MP, with an introduction by Professor Stephen Coleman.

The views expressed in this article, and in Past the Post, are those of its author. As an independent, non-party organisation, the Hansard Society is happy to publish these views and invite discussion of them.

For details of previous Hansard Society online consultations, see http://www.democracyforum.org.uk

For online details of places visited during the research, see:

Age Concern: http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/ageconcern/staying_63.htm
Hairnet: http://www.hairnet.org
Baby Boomer Bistro: http://www.babyboomerbistro.org.uk
Open Age project: http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/a-z/a-z.asp?OrgId=1190