With the successful conclusion of the week-long online and offline questionnaire survey of the "Smart Life, Happy Old Age" social practice group, the complete and rigorous survey results have also been summarized. In order to analyze the survey results and better understand the use of smart phones by the elderly, on January 31, 2024, the practice team held a second online meeting under the guidance of teacher Liu Zhaoyu and the organization of team leader Min Yutong. The theme of the meeting is to analyze the survey results, summarize the pain points and difficulties of the elderly in using smart phones reflected in the questionnaire, and then carry out the next step.
In this survey, 400 questionnaires were sent out and 392 valid questionnaires were returned. The questionnaire covers the current use of smart phones by the elderly, the time, frequency, and use of mobile phones, whether they encounter difficulties when using mobile phones and the frequency of difficulties, which functions of smart phones are usually used, the impact of smart phones on the quality of life of the elderly, and the views on the safety of smart phones.
According to the survey data, there are 9022% of seniors use a mobile phone on a weekly basis. Older people often use their smartphones to call, text, photograph and surf the Internet, socialize, and shop. 92% of the elderly said that they would encounter difficulties when using smartphones, and the number of elderly people who always encountered difficulties accounted for 17 of the total78% more. And there are 9667% of the elderly are willing to learn to use their smartphones better. The problems encountered by the elderly when using smart phones are as follows: 1. Unfamiliar with the operation interface, accounting for 35 of the total75%；2. Poor eyesight or reading difficulties, accounting for 2367%；3. Memory loss, easy to forget the operation steps, accounting for 2319%；4. Concerns about security issues (such as fraud, privacy leakage, etc.), accounting for 16 of the total91%。In addition, the elderly are more inclined to consult family or friends when they encounter problems with the use of smart phones, with 7326% of seniors would choose to do so. Moreover, the elderly still have certain concerns about the security of smartphones. Elderly people who are very worried account for 14 of the total03%, but it cannot be ignored that the elderly who are more worried and less worried account for a total of 8326%。In terms of the advantages and disadvantages of using smartphones, 81 percent of the elderly believe that using smartphones makes it easier to keep in touch with family and friends45%, and 48% of the elderly believe that the use of smartphones is not good for their eye health81%。
From the analysis of the survey results, it can be seen that the pain points and difficulties encountered by the elderly in using smart phones are multifaceted, and we should formulate detailed measures for each aspect. For example, to educate the elderly about cyber security and the identification methods and countermeasures of some common telecom frauds, so as to dispel the fear of cyber security among the elderly. At the same time, older people are still very dependent on family and friends, as evidenced by their tendency to consult them when they encounter problems, and the fact that the main advantage of using smartphones is that they can easily communicate with family and friends. Therefore, we can use the power of family and friends of the elderly to teach them the use of smart phones, which can not only bring the elderly closer to their family and friends, but also enable the elderly to accept new knowledge about smart phones with a more open and inclusive attitude.
On May 11, 2021, the results of the seventh national population census showed that China's population aged 60 and above accounted for more than 18%, and the degree of population aging has further deepened. At present, smartphones are providing more and more convenience for the lives of the elderly, and the process of enjoying convenience for the elderly should not be trapped by various problems when using it. As college students in the new era, we should carry forward the excellent traditional culture of respecting the elderly, start from small things, and lead the elderly around us to cross the "digital divide" and embrace the "information age". The successful convening of this meeting pointed out the direction for the practice team to carry out further work, which is conducive to the practice team members to provide more humane and targeted services for the elderly.
Written by: Min Yutong.
Smart life, enjoy old age" social practice team.
Reviewed instructor: Liu Zhaoyu.