Comunicar 39-ingles - Revista Comunicar

200Comunicar, 39, XX, 2012In one of the discussion groups, one person consideredthis stage of life (after retirement) as an opportunityto recover lost time, to carry out projects thatcould not be undertaken during other life stages and totry to do that vital project that was always put off foranother time. «I always had all my life a thirst forknowledge. Because all my life I envied those thatknew a lot […] we were four brothers and sisters andI was the only one who had an itch to study […] but Icouldn’t […] now I love learning».These quotes constitute an important referencefor professionals who design programs for the elderly.The new generations of the elderly are independentpeople, full of vitality, with countless opportunities andwith a profile of needs and interests that differ fromwhat we are accustomed to. They look for somethingmore in leisure than a mere human experience, andthey want it to be valuable, rewarding and full of meaning.Csikszentmihalyi (2001, cit. Cuenca, 2004: 53)states that it is only possible for people to develop theirunique human potential if they enhance their psychologicalcomplexity which, according to the author, isthe result of two components: integration and harmoniousparticipation with the social and cultural environment.ICT constitute an activity which endows leisurewith multiple possibilities for creativity and initiativein the elderly.As already indicated, the elderly use ICT to makephoto albums for their children, digital Christmas cardsfor their friends, videos which capture specialmoments, etc. Without doubt these activities involvethe elderly in their own life projects, fill them with confidence,satisfaction, life. The effects of learning to useICT are, without a shadow of doubt, very positive forthe elderly who perceive them as tools that enrich, thatoffer indispensable possibilities for feeling part oftoday’s society. In this respect, comments include: «It isa very good activity and it helps the elderly a greatdeal… I am satisfied that at my age I can use computerscience, I like it very much, I like it because we arewith friends and we have a great time».4. ConclusionsSociety has opened up spaces for the elderly tobecome digitally literate and they (although still notmany) approach ICT with the main intention of learningabout how they function (digital literacy) and toacquire the necessary basic competences for managingand using them for their particular needs, which willlead them to acquire computer knowledge and enjoyusing that knowhow. This research shows that theelderly use ICT as a form of education; that thesegenerations of the elderly need and want to learn, andsee this moment in their lives as the right time to approachICT. The purpose of using ICT for entertainment,as occurs in other stages of life, is displaced bythe urge to access all types of information that can contributeto personal knowledge, except in certain contextssuch as rural areas where probably due to thelack of other types of leisure initiatives, ICT are usedmuch more frequently for entertainment.The preference for face-to-face courses with suitablemethodologies and teachers sensitive to theirneeds is the method preferred by elderly men andwomen users of ICT.Another important element to consider is thatelderly involvement with the Internet is still low-levelsince they have not yet discovered all its possibilities interms of communication and information, or if they arehave, they are not interested in taking advantage ofthem. The data verify that the elderly use the Internetto communicate, especially the unmarried who seethis communication channel as a tool that facilitatesrelationships with others, with relatives or friends andacts as a brake on loneliness. It is also comprehensiblethat the elderly with a secondary school or universitylevel of education use this resource more whereaselderly women with no formal education use it theleast, a fact to be considered when designing socialprograms that target elderly women with no educationalqualifications to get them onto the Internet.Another significant aspect of the research is thatmore than half the ICT users access the Internet frompublic areas, normally social centres for the elderly,since they do not have computer technology at home,which suggests that if they did so, ICT usage would begreater than it is at the moment. In this sense, smallgrants for people over 65 to buy computer equipmentand access to the Internet should be considered, as ithas been for young people. All these aspects should betaken into account when designing training programsthat satisfy the needs of different groups. Competencesalready acquired by users should direct the methodologiesto be employed in such a way that the use of thedigital tools of the 21 st century is open to all ages.ReferencesBELANDO, M. (2000). Educación y vejez social. Ámbitos y propuestasde intervención. Barcelona: PPU.CASTELLS, M. (1995). La ciudad informacional. Tecnologías de lainformación, estructuración económica y el proceso urbano-regional.Madrid: Alianza.CUENCA, M. (2004). Pedagogía del ocio: Modelos y propuestas.Bilbao: Universidad de Deusto.CHARNESS, N., PARKS, D. & SABEL, B. (2001). Communication,© ISSN: 1134-3478 • e-ISSN: 1988-3293• Pages 193-201