EXPECTATIONS OF THE ELDERLY FOR THE INTERNET AS AN INFLUENCING FACTOR FOR THE INTERNET TEACHING

In summer 2009, a qualitative study among the late middle-aged and older people in Estonia was carried out in order to find out the functions of the Internet for the older generation and the expectations and fears of the elderly for the Internet. By this study, it was tried to find out what are the needs of the elderly for which they prefer to use the Internet; what kind of contents or functions do the elderly miss in the Internet; what kind of role-taking and contents are unpleasant or scaring for the elderly Internet user. Semi-structured interview was used, 34 elderly Internet users were interviewed during seven interviews. The study indicated that the interviewed elderly find the Internet primarily as an environment for everyday practical operations and it is not perceived as an entertainer. Of the contents available in the Internet, the elderly are disturbed by the negativism, superficiality, obscenities, humiliation and excessive concentration on the topics of private lives. The waste of time and the risk to express itself incorrectly or wrongly are felt as dangers of the Internet usage among the elderly. The article gives recommendations for carrying out the Internet training for the elderly and explains which Internet functions and contents could be chosen as the content of the Internet skills training in order to create and maintain the interest and satisfaction of elderly learners. The results referred to the need to continue the study on the expectations of the elderly Internet users and to study thoroughly the attitude especially of the elderly men to the Internet as a tool of communication and the role of the Internet games in the lives of the elderly and Internet training.