OLDER PEOPLE AS A SUBJECT OF RESEARCH ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY

Abstract

The aim of the article is to present the legitimacy and conditions of research on seniors and its challenges in the context of further development of the information society (IS). The conducted considerations lead to the conclusion that research of this nature is limited by the lack of unambiguity in the concept of elderly persons and the information society. Nevertheless, it has been argued that studies of older people as members of the IS are fully justified by the importance of this group in society as a whole. Whereas analysis conducted on those aged 60 years and over, or 65 years and over, is insufficient. Older people should be analyzed in smaller age ranges and the analyses require both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Qualitative approaches improve our understanding of the reasons that new technologies are used or rejected, which can help to achieve one of the goals of IS development – to increase the quality of life for seniors in the future.