How to view the phenomenon of Internet addiction in the elderly

How to view the phenomenon of Internet addiction among the elderly

How to view the phenomenon of Internet addiction among the elderly, as of December 2020, China's elderly Internet users over the age of 60 amounted to 96.82 million. More than 0.19% of the elderly average daily online more than 10 hours, showing a lonely life, how to view the phenomenon of elderly Internet addiction.

How to view the phenomenon of Internet addiction in the elderly1

Nothing to pick up the phone, hiding under the covers to brush short videos, playing the phone for more than 9 hours a day ...... Recently, there are media reports on some instances of addiction to the Internet. Unlike in the past, it is no longer young people who are addicted to the Internet, but older people who not long ago made society worry about being out of touch with the Internet age! From the "digital divide" to the "Internet-addicted elderly", the change is both surprising and worrying. Behind the Internet addiction of the elderly, reflecting the complexity of the reality, but also to the community put forward new requirements.

The rapid iteration of technology in the digital age, especially with smartphones as the representative of the mobile Internet, new models, new features, new applications and new scenarios emerge one after another, making it difficult for many older people to adapt to, sighing that they "can not keep up with the times". Especially after the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, online shopping, contactless payment, information inquiry, identity verification and many other functions based on cell phones, while bringing convenience to the majority of people, but also to the elderly who can not skillfully use a lot of difficulties. In order to prevent the elderly from lagging behind in the digital age, ageing-friendly policies have been frequently introduced to effectively solve the problems of the elderly in accessing the Internet; all parties in the society have also contributed to encouraging young people, especially their family members, to help the elderly familiarize themselves with the functions of cell phones and integrate them into the era of mobile Internet; and many enterprises have also developed a lot of age-friendly cell phone applications for the silver-haired people, which has led to a significant increase in the use of the mobile Internet among the elderly. Many companies have also developed a number of "age-friendly" mobile applications for the elderly, and the use of mobile Internet by the elderly has improved considerably, with more and more elderly people being able to use cell phone functions skillfully.

As of December 2020, there were 96.82 million older Internet users over the age of 60 in China, according to a statistical report on China's Internet development. However, due to the Internet's previous services for the elderly experience accumulation is not enough, the protection of the strength and lack of ways, resulting in some of the elderly anti-injury. The above report shows that more than 0.19% of the elderly average daily online more than 10 hours, the country or more than 100,000 elderly people in the cell phone network presents extreme loneliness of life, almost 24 hours a day living in the mobile network.

Feeling lonely and lack of social interaction is one of the reasons why some seniors are addicted to the Internet. Family members are not around, not good at socializing, superimposed on the epidemic during the gathering activities are limited, so that some of the elderly sense of loneliness increased. And through the cell phone to understand the outside world, social communication, entertainment and interaction, has become one of the few choices, over time, the formation of a dependence on the phone.

The low cost of getting started is another reason why older people are addicted to the Internet. Many older people have to help take care of the next generation, every day running around. And many elderly people have their own parents alive, this upgraded version of the "old and young" so that they belong to their own leisure time is not much. As an easy-to-learn, easy-to-access, low-cost, zero-threshold entertainment, cell phones have naturally become the favorite of the elderly. In the free time, can not enjoy the "poetry and distant places" of the elderly, pick up the phone to have fun, is undoubtedly the most direct and most affordable choice.

The attraction of the mobile Internet is created by its convenience, massive content, entertainment and interactivity, as well as the support of big data and artificial intelligence systems, and the elderly will not be immune to Internet addiction because of their age. And the elderly time to dispose of relatively free, no rigid rest and relaxation requirements of the characteristics, resulting in the decline of external binding, is also easy to addicted to the network of one of the factors.

From the social point of view, to create a suitable network environment for the elderly, to strengthen the systematic protection, so that the elderly can stay in a safe, comfortable Internet "old age mode", is the right approach.

"Comfortable and caring for the elderly" network environment, the need for family, society and other parties **** with the promotion of the construction and maintenance. Family members or community workers in teaching the elderly to access the Internet at the same time, but also to teach the elderly knowledge of network security; Internet platforms should avoid strong entertainment, light content orientation, to guide the elderly the correct use of the network; society also needs to be targeted to provide recreational facilities and venues suitable for the elderly, to increase the motivation of the elderly to put down their cell phones.

Solving the "digital divide" of the elderly should not be the end of caring for the elderly in the digital age, but also "caring for the elderly" after "suitable for the elderly" so that the elderly can really have a happy and beautiful life in their old age. Have a happy and beautiful life in old age.

Harvesting and abandonment: Algorithmic control gives the elderly no place to hide

Zhang Meng, a citizen of Shijiazhuang, opened his father's news app, and the two people's. The interface is almost in two different times. The interface is almost in two different times. In his father's reading push, "secret history", "secret news", "central internal meeting" and other words are particularly eye-catching.

"My father likes to read historical articles, but accepts the content as it is without distinguishing between truth and falsehood, and people have become a bit radicalized, which makes people worry." Zhang Meng said.

The reporter found that the network of good and bad "drama" "oral" articles on the elderly have a profound impact. A lot of elderly people must say "said online", and then to the younger generation to instill the same idea.

Meng Ying, associate professor at the School of Journalism and Communication at China University of Political Science and Law, said that according to incomplete statistics, the current algorithm-based personalized content delivery has exceeded 70% of the entire Internet information content distribution.

Many older people say they are easily attracted to radical speech, mainly because "that certainty, and the certainty that comes with self-confidence; simplicity, and the simplicity that comes with ease of mind; easy to recognize, and easy to recognize the degree of the emotional group quickly assembled, it's easy to **** song."

Wu Yanmin, an expert in psychology at the People's Hospital of Shijiazhuang, said that although the network breaks down the boundaries of space and time, the elderly who are addicted to the network are in fact more detached from the group, out of touch with the society, the times, and the reality, and the subcircle stratification is more obvious.

Tencent 110 platform 2019 released "middle-aged and elderly people anti-fraud white paper" shows that in the first half of 2019, Tencent 110 platform *** accept middle-aged and elderly people cheated more than 20,000 times reported, of which 97% of those cheated had suffered from the loss of funds, the amount of money ranging from one hundred yuan to tens of thousands of yuan.

Tianjin Municipal Public Security Bureau recently announced the city's current cases of telecommunications network fraud solved this year, statistical results show that the elderly group, although not a large proportion, but prone to be defrauded of a larger amount of cases.

"Elderly groups tend to be more desperate after being cheated out of all their money, on the one hand, their physical condition determines that they can not make a living again to earn an income, on the other hand, the spirit is more likely to fall into self-blame and can not come out." Shijiazhuang a grass-roots police said.

Addiction and addiction: the elderly physical and mental health is damaged in the invisible silent

Reporters in the visit found that the digital divide and Internet addiction into sex pointedly coexist in the elderly group. A number of interviewed doctors said that the elderly long time online is easy to cause cardiovascular disease, spinal disease, eye disease and many other diseases. Psychologically, the Internet could have alleviated the loneliness of the elderly, but long-term addiction is counterproductive, invariably increasing their sense of emptiness and anxiety.

68-year-old Cui Wenjie lives in Xiqing District, Tianjin City, Xiyingmen Street, Wenrui home community, she is often hunched over the body sitting on the bed to watch the twisted rice-planting song video, around the people's persuasion of the whole into the "wind in the ear. "Last year to play the phone often eye and neck pain, sedentary body uncomfortable, no one cares about me, I can play more than 8 hours a day, the phone is out of power on the charge to play, and then the family to stop, but I'm still itchy."

Shijiazhuang People's Hospital Vice President Sun Zhaohui said that in recent years, due to eye problems come to the doctor of the gradual increase in the number of older people, a large part of the reason is prolonged exposure to electronic devices.

"Elderly people staring at the cell phone screen for a long time are prone to dry eye syndrome. If you look at your cell phone in the dark, the huge contrast between the background light and the screen light seriously damages your eyes. In addition, long-term exposure to large amounts of blue light can cause visual cell damage in the macular area of the retina, so the elderly are a high incidence of macular diseases of the eye." Sun Zhaohui said.

In addition to visual impairment, Zhang Lixing, director of orthopedics at Shijiazhuang People's Hospital, said that the elderly are mostly accompanied by cervical and lumbar spine diseases, and long-term bending with a low head will be burdensome on the cervical and lumbar spine.

"The head is in a low position to look at the phone, the back side of the neck muscles in order to maintain the posture of the low position, in a state of tension, the lower the head, the muscles are pulled by the greater the force. Over time this leads to neck muscle damage and changes in cervical curvature." Zhang Lixing said.

A number of medical staff reflected that many older people in the current tend to access the Internet before the medical information, due to a lack of medical knowledge and discernment, but also selective acceptance of negative information, unauthorized "into the seat", and therefore come to the medical staff of the professional diagnosis of the medical staff are often skeptical, delayed treatment.

Adapted to the elderly and caring for the elderly: vigilance giant "deer" good medicine more in the "outside the network"

In response to the elderly "touch the network The use of the Internet is more rational, safe and standardized. The company's website has been updated with the latest version of the website, which is a reflection of the company's social responsibility, and should not be seen as an object of traffic harvesting.

Insufficient supply of cultural and recreational facilities, lagging behind in construction, and monotonous forms are also important factors in the decontextualization of the elderly. Guan Xinping, a professor at the Department of Social Work and Social Policy of Nankai University, said that at present, China's investment in the construction of public **** cultural and recreational facilities for the elderly, capital investment, manpower investment is relatively insufficient, it is difficult to meet the growing diversified needs of the elderly.

In addition, the lack of popularity of the University of the Elderly has also become a lot of "silver hair" addicted to cell phones a major cause. Tianjin Radio and Television University Xiqing Branch (Xiqing Open University) President Wei Min said, the University of the elderly to open interest classes, health classes, life class specialties, to meet the elderly, "seeking knowledge, seeking health, seeking fun, seeking friends, seeking for the" needs. However, at present, the rate of elderly education and training places to benefit the low rate, most of the elderly "no school".

"We provide free schooling, every year when the enrollment, the elderly friends have to online 'spike', soon to be full." Wei Min said that the coverage of the elderly university students is much smaller than the number of groups of elderly people in the region, there is a need to further deepen the reform of supply and demand, to promote the long-term development of elderly education.

Li Yinli, a participant of the Shijiazhuang Senior University, also suggested that the construction of facilities for senior activities should be accelerated, such as organizing a senior university and enriching the community's senior category of cultural and sports activities ...... as much as possible to create conditions for the elderly to socialize, fitness and learning, in order to give them the motivation to put down their cell phones and get out of the house.

Yuan Xin, a professor at Nankai University's Institute of Population and Development, suggests that scientific counseling on the use of smartphones should be specifically targeted at the elderly, expanding the scope of activities and guiding professional social workers to play a better role. At the children's level, they should better care for their parents and make their daily lives more fulfilling in terms of life and psychology.