Characteristics of information privacy for older Internet users

Abstract

  The present study investigated the characteristics of information privacy for Internet users among older adults and examined the relationships between information privacy and experience of trouble on the Internet. A web-based survey was conducted of 800 older adults (over 65 years of age) and 400 younger adults (undergraduate students). The respondents completed a questionnaire measuring information privacy and the experience of trouble on the Internet. Results indicated that ; (1) older adults were more concerned about the privacy of their demographic information than younger adults; (2) older adults with large Internet usage were less concerned about the privacy of their identifiable information than those with low Internet usage and younger adults; (3) the less older adults were concerned about the privacy of their identifiable information, the more they had experienced troubles on the Internet. These findings suggested that older adults with large Internet usage had low information privacy for identifiable information, which fad led to trouble on the Internet. These results implied that it was necessary to provide educational support depending on the level of Internet usage in older adults.