Online access still difficult for many older and elderly Australians

Governments and businesses aren't making it easy for seniors to get digitally connected.

Published: 13 January 2023

If you're in a certain age range, you've probably had to guide an older person through the ins and outs of the digital world at some point.

If that person was born in the 1960s or 1970s and had to come to terms with computers and the internet as part of their jobs, the hurdles may not have been too high.

But for many people aged in their 70s, 80s and older, dealing with information technology remains a bewildering experience, no matter how much help they get. As the final vestiges of the analogue world fade away, the digitally disconnected are being left behind in ways that may not be readily apparent.

Need to know

  • Learning new digital skills is just one of the challenges for older Australians – there’s also the issue of affordability

  • Half of low-income households have difficulty paying for home internet

  • National Seniors says it hears regularly from seniors who feel they're being discriminated against