Computer confidence in the over 50s Increases - slowly

Most over 50 year olds feel confident using computers, but could do with some help working out what the jargon means, according to Which?
Research carried out for 'Computing Made Easy for the Over 50s', a new book from the consumer champion, found that nearly six in ten over 50 year olds have access to a computer and on average they spend more than half an hour a day using it for non-work activities.

Almost eight in ten over 50s told Which? that they feel fairly competent or very competent using a computer, but around one in five said they did not feel very competent, and around seven in ten had experienced frustrations with computers in the past year. Viruses, computers crashing and uncertainty over whether to trust websites were the main gripes.

The research by Which? also found that many over 50s have never heard of or don’t understand some common computing jargon, including Wiki (47 per cent), ISP (34 per cent), Skype (44 per cent) and Vista (39 per cent).

Matt Bath, Technology Editor at Which? says:
“More and more of what we do every day involves a computer in some way, whether it’s online banking, keeping in touch with family and friends or booking plane tickets. Our research has shown that many people over 50 are taking advantage of the financial and time-saving benefits of using a computer, but it’s worth brushing up on the basics, whatever your age.”

Associated Link: Which? magazine

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