Future design:
‍Internet by seniors

The space in the job market

The older population keeps working longer and is increasingly present in the job market. Even after retirement, senior citizens are the main breadwinners in many families. Work, therefore, becomes a considered option for earning income or even to keep their minds active. In our survey, 35% of the interviewees continue working, and half of them had more than one paid activity. Despite this strong presence in the labor market, companies do not give priority or opportunities to people aged 60 and older, making hiring or re-hiring a more complicated process. In our survey, job application platforms and the online selection process were a point of complaint for 15% of respondents. With the exception of only one respondent in our survey, the others are self-employed, through trade or service consultancies.

How to make room for older people in the labor market?

"I WENT TO WORK IN A GROUP OF A COMPANY THAT HAD MORE THAN 50 DEALERS, SO YOU HAD MEETINGS. SUDDENLY I WORKED THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE. THEN THE PEOPLE WOULD LOOK AT ME USING MY CELL PHONE, AND I MANAGED TO KEEP UP WITH THEM. THEY WERE ALWAYS AMAZED: 'WHAT IS THIS GRANDFATHER DOING HERE? S.G, 74 YEARS OLD

The technological advance

Today, almost all services and professions need the Internet. Regardless of the electronic device, the internet is mandatory, either to use a program on the computer or even to advertise a service on some social network.With the increasingly digitized processes, the generation that was not born in the digital age also needs to adapt. 60% of the heavy-users interviewed were introduced to the Internet through their work and have since evolved the devices more easily. However, this affects an issue we've already noticed: whether companies don't provide opportunities for older people to stay in the market, how are they going to adapt to the new technologies and software that are being developed in the market? 15% of the interviewees say they have difficulty in keeping up with the launches of these new technologies, both financially, to buy new devices, and to update the software of the devices they own.

How can they adapt to technological advance in a more intuitive way?

"ABOUT THE INTERNET, APPLICATIONS AND SMARTPHONES, ONE THING THAT REALLY UPSETS ME IS WHEN MY SMARTPHONE IS OUT OF DATE, MAN. THEN I REALIZE THAT I'LL HAVE TO SPEND MONEY, THAT IT'S NOT WORKING ANYMORE. " E.Z, 60 YEARS OLD

The vision of brands

Despite the rise of senior citizens in media and internet channels, they don't feel represented by the brands they use, especially if it's a digital product. The technical manager of a large delivery company shared that he understands the importance and urgency of looking at the elderly and covers accessibility projects, the company has no focus on elderly users, and has no research material or innovation plans designed for this target audience. "Therefore, it is essential to offer more protagonism to this generation and take better advantage of consumption opportunities among this public," says Eduardo Alves, head of go-to-market & field marketing at Kantar Ibope Media.

How do the big brands and multinational companies see the elderly in their products?

"LOOK, WE DON'T DEAL WITH ACCESSIBILITY FOR THIS PUBLIC, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WILL HAVE THAT MUCH TO CONTRIBUTE. I THINK THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE ELDERLY POPULATION, WE HAVE A VERY LARGE GRANULATION, YOU KNOW? WE TEND TO THINK THEY ARE A SINGLE GROUP, BUT OBVIOUSLY, THERE ARE MANY PUBLICS AND MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS WITHIN IT. AND I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT TO BE CONSIDERED EVEN FOR THE SOLUTIONS, BECAUSE THE PAINS ARE NOT THE SAME." T.F, DESIGNER MANAGER

Trojan Horse

With technological advances accelerating and the momentum brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a need for the population to adapt to new processes.

20% of the sample of respondents had no choice: they started using an internet-connected device as a gift from their children, who wanted to keep in touch through instant messaging and social networking. And, with this, there is a curious relationship: because they didn't seek it of their own free will, they settled for learning all the functionalities, keeping only the basic ones related to sending messages and viewing social networks.

10% of the respondents stated that they dislike the internet and exposing themselves on the internet, and they only use the internet exclusively to contact these family members.

How to get the population that is not digital native interested in the internet?

"I AM NOT LIKE MANY PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO USE EVERYTHING. I DON'T LOOK IT. I DON'T KNOW. IF I TELL YOU THAT I KNOW IT IS A LIE, I ONLY LOOK AT FACEBOOK AND THERE I SEE THE LITTLE JOKES OF THE APPLICATION. FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, I ONLY DO WHAT I KNOW HOW TO DO. AND THE CELL PHONE, ANSWER IT AND EVERYTHING. BUT TO USE IT AS MANY PEOPLE DO AND KNOW HOW TO DO EVERYTHING WITH A CELL PHONE, I DON'T KNOW HOW. I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU IF I WOULD BE INTERESTED (IN LEARNING MORE)." C.L, 75 YEARS

Bringing together those who are far away

Communicating with the people you care about is an important factor. In cases of isolation and distance, a phone call is often not enough. For 35% of the respondents to our study, keeping in touch with family and friends who live far away was the main motivator for having a cell phone that accesses the Internet.

The Internet has made it possible for people of the non-digital generation to get back in touch with people who would not have been possible without the existence of a computer or smartphone, such as schoolmates, college friends, or relatives in their home city, state, or country.

In contrast, the generation that didn't grow up connected all the time understands that although it brings closer those who are far away, it distances those who are close by, living together in person. 15% of the interviewees have this perception, especially with Generation Z children or grandchildren.

How to break this prejudice and bring more interaction on and off the Internet?

"PEOPLE ARE VERY, VERY ATTACHED TO THEIR CELL PHONES. YOU GO OUT AND YOU SEE THAT THERE IS NO CONVERSATION ANYMORE. I HAVE MANY FRIENDS THAT WE GO OUT AND IT IS HARD TO HAVE A CONVERSATION, BECAUSE WE ARE ALWAYS SHOWING PHOTOS, SHOWING VIDEOS, SHOWING THINGS. YOU CAN'T REALLY HAVE A PERSONAL CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW?S.L, 61 YEARS

Send it on Zap

Internet communication, already very present, has been boosted by Covid-19's isolation and has fallen into the taste of the senior citizen population. Messages, audio, and video calls have become recurrent tools in daily life to talk to friends, family, and other people in general.

Our study shows that WhatsApp is the most used tool for this purpose, and is by far the most used application by this audience. In 10% of the cases present in our survey, it may be the only app they use on their cell phone. In addition, social networks such as Facebook and Instagram are also present as a way of contacting people.

How to get senior citizens interested in using other resources on the internet besides communication?

"(I STARTED USING THE INTERNET) TO BE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH VARIOUS THINGS AND VARIOUS SUBJECTS AND PEOPLE. AND I FOUND SEVERAL FROM COLLEGE, FROM SCHOOL, FRIENDS. IT'S FASCINATING."I.D., 67 YEARS

The Internet is foreign

The internet is a specific universe. There are words, terms, concepts and meanings that, for non-natives of the digital age, can be difficult to follow.

In our survey, 25% of the interviewees highlighted that they have difficulty in understanding English terms, very present in internet language, and depending on the situation these terms become an impediment to proceed with some action.

How to make internet language more inclusive?

How to teach the elderly population the terms of the internet?

"I THINK IT'S KIND OF COMPLICATED, MAINLY BECAUSE THE WORDS USED ON THE INTERNET ARE WORDS THAT I DON'T KNOW. IT'S A LOT OF WORDS AND MOST OF THEM I DON'T KNOW, SO I HAVE TO ASK AROUND. NOWADAYS, WE KNOW THAT BRAZIL IS A COUNTRY WITH A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF ILLITERATE PEOPLE, INCLUDING ME. AND TODAY EVERYTHING IS IN ENGLISH. AND PEOPLE CAN'T EVEN SPEAK PORTUGUESE. EVERYTHING IS IN ENGLISH." K.V, 75 YEARS

Beware of fake news

The internet is a vast world of information, but not all of it is true. In Brazil's presidential elections in 2022, we saw how much news or information on the Internet can influence facts and popular opinions. The elderly public is directly affected by all the "fake news", mainly because of the means of transmission: WhatsApp and social networks like Facebook and Instagram, often disseminated through lives, images and news links. The false information, if shared by a known person, brings credibility and veracity in the view of these people.

Today, 20% of the people interviewed for our study have created a mental awareness of checking the veracity of the information they receive. But there is still a large part of the elderly population that does not know how to differentiate what is true or not.

How can we make this clearer to them?

"YOU HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO FILTER ANY SOURCE VERY WELL. MAINLY, YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW WHERE THIS INFORMATION COMES FROM. SO, ESPECIALLY NOW WITH THIS ELECTORAL PERIOD, WHAT WE HAVE HAD IS FAKE NEWS, NOT TO PASS ON SUCH INFORMATION. THIS INFORMATION CAME BACK, BUT WHO GAVE IT TO YOU? WAS IT A RELIABLE SOURCE? WAS IT A GOOD NEWSPAPER, A GOOD TV NETWORK, ETC.?"
R.L, 67 YEARS