Recently, the "Research Report on the Use of Internet and Network Literacy of Middle-aged and Elderly People" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report") sponsored by the Fudan University research team was held online. Experts and scholars from universities and research institutions such as Peking University , Nankai University , Renmin University of China , Fudan University , East China Normal University, Southwest University of Finance and Economics , Xiangtan University , Chinese Academy of Social Sciences , etc., discussed topics such as the Internet, short video usage and usage of middle-aged and elderly people, digital skills and digital literacy. The experts at the meeting agreed that the rational use of the Internet and short videos will help enrich the daily lives of middle-aged and elderly people and enhance the integration of community and social participation of middle-aged and elderly people; the country and society should further increase the intensity of digital skills training for middle-aged and elderly people, and at the same time actively guide middle-aged and elderly people to form healthy and benign Internet use habits to give full play to the positive role of the Internet and short videos.
The overall use of the Internet is good, and has strong self-management awareness and ability
The research team conducted a questionnaire survey on 1,000 middle-aged and elderly netizens from five cities: Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Harbin and Yinchuan, and conducted in-depth interviews with 50 middle-aged and elderly netizens. The results show that most middle-aged and elderly netizens use the Internet and Douyin frequently, but they use it relatively restrainedly every day and prefer the "small amount and multiple times a day" Internet usage model.
Among the middle-aged and elderly people surveyed, 40.7% of them spend less than 2 hours per day, 28.4% spend 2-3 hours per day, 17.1% spend 3-5 hours per day, and only 13.8% spend more than 5 hours per day. Middle-aged and elderly people use Douyin more restrainedly. Nearly three-quarters of the respondents (73.1%) use Douyin for no more than 2 hours a day, and it is mainly concentrated in the three periods of night (19:00-23:00), afternoon (13:00-17:00) and morning (7:00-11:00). There are very few cases of staying up late and using Douyin. The middle-aged and elderly people participating in the in-depth interview also said that they are accustomed to using their leisure time to use Douyin, and using Douyin has not squeezed out their outdoor fitness activities time.
The experts at the meeting expressed unanimous recognition of this, believing that the report responded well to the issue of the time when middle-aged and elderly people use the Internet that people are concerned about, and corrected the misjudgment that "middle-aged and elderly people are prone to addiction to the Internet." President of the Chinese Population Society , Director and Professor of the Population and Development Research Center of Renmin University of China Director and Professor of Zhai Zhenwu said: "When we discuss the pros and cons of online access, we cannot fall into a pessimistic perspective because of the particularity of the middle-aged and elderly population. In the digital age, the focus of our attention is still how to accelerate the popularization of the Internet among middle-aged and elderly groups, improve the network usage capabilities of middle-aged and elderly people, so that more middle-aged and elderly people can access digital life , and share the benefits brought by the Internet and short videos."
The report also shows that 63.2% of the middle-aged and elderly people interviewed believe that they need to restrain their Internet time, and 17.8% said that "very need"; and among the middle-aged and elderly people who oppose the opinions, the vast majority believe that they already have good self-control ability for using the Internet and do not need to rely on external constraints.
Associate Professor of of the School of Business of Xiangtan University and Director of Xiangtan University China Rural Development Research Center , Chen Huashuai proposed that the digital rights of middle-aged and elderly people should be respected, and their independent awareness and independent choices during the use of the Internet. "In response to the discussion on the duration of online use by middle-aged and elderly people, I think it should not forcefully intervene or limit the time for middle-aged and elderly people to access the Internet, but they can be given necessary reminders and guidance depending on the situation."
Douyin has launched time management functions such as "time lock" since 2018, calling on users to set the daily usage time independently. Since then, various rest reminder videos such as stars, animations, and scenery have been launched one after another, and are pushed to users from time to time, including indicators such as user usage period, single use duration, and cumulative use duration. Among the middle-aged and elderly people interviewed this time, 87.1% have received various forms of rest reminder videos from TikTok. Yang Chenggang, a professor at the Population Research Institute of Southwest University of Finance and Economics, affirmed Douyin's time management function, "Reminders are different from mandatory restrictions, and have achieved respect for middle-aged and elderly users. In the future, diversified forms of time reminders can be further explored."
Moderate use of the Internet and short videos will help improve the welfare of middle-aged and elderly people
With the deepening of digitalization, the lives of middle-aged and elderly people are becoming more and more colorful. According to statistics from the "Report", the main uses of middle-aged and elderly people to use the Internet are "watch videos" and "read new News, information, books", "listen to music and opera" and "social chat". Three-quarters of the middle-aged and elderly people interviewed will use the Internet to obtain life services. There are also a large number of middle-aged and elderly people who carry out economic activities on the Internet. 14.3% of the middle-aged and elderly people interviewed have learned online games and become the "trends" in the online world.
On Douyin, the most popular short video types among middle-aged and elderly people are life skills, funny entertainment and life record types. In addition to passively experiencing the world of Douyin, 23.7% of the middle-aged and elderly people interviewed will also actively produce and publish short videos, willing to share their lives, insights and knowledge with relatives, friends and netizens, and practice a positive view of aging.
"We see that middle-aged and elderly people are making many active attempts on the Internet, including learning, life, socialization and other aspects. Technology promotes social development, and short videos have become a new platform and new way to help middle-aged and elderly people better integrate into this society, and are also an important manifestation of technology serving people," said Zhang Zhen, associate professor at the School of Social Development and Public Policy, Fudan University.
The report also pointed out that moderate use of short videos can help increase the participation of family activities and community activities for middle-aged and elderly people, and promote offline activities and social interactions among middle-aged and elderly people. Data shows that among middle-aged and elderly people who use TikTok within 5 hours a day, the longer the use time, the middle-aged and elderly people participate in leisure activities (fishing, raising flowers, raising pets, etc.) and participate in community activities and volunteer services. The proportion of services has increased, which shows that using Douyin can help middle-aged and elderly people develop a positive and optimistic attitude towards life. At the same time, with the increase in the use of Douyin, the participation rate of middle-aged and elderly people in learning other skills has also increased significantly. On the one hand, middle-aged and elderly people may learn skills on Douyin, and on the other hand, the rich information brought by Douyin also helps stimulate the interest and initiative of middle-aged and elderly people in learning other skills.
"Using the Internet and short videos so that the elderly can know the world without leaving home, and can communicate and interact with relatives and friends far away. It is an effective means to reduce the social loneliness of the elderly. This is the welfare brought by modern information technology to the spiritual life of the elderly. "Yang Chenggang added that compared with static and traditional media forms such as text and pictures, vivid short videos can arouse the enthusiasm of middle-aged and elderly people to learn and help middle-aged and elderly people discover the fun of the online world.
Professor of Nankai University School of Economics and Director of the Center for the Strategy of the Elderly Social Governance of Nankai University Yuanxin praised the results of the "Report". "The Report" shows us a comprehensive and objective picture of the online life of middle-aged and elderly people. We should fully affirm the positive impact of the Internet and short videos on the lives of middle-aged and elderly people. "He also further proposed that Internet platforms such as Douyin still need to start from the practical concerns of middle-aged and elderly people, such as health care, property safety, online shopping product quality, interaction with family/neighborhood, etc., constantly optimize product functions and platform content, emphasize "to what they like" and achieve "enter the mind and heart".
Multi-party collaboration Continue to pay attention to the health and safety of middle-aged and elderly people. Although the Internet application is actively promoting the transformation of aging-friendly transformation, Internet ecological purification and network content governance are also deepening. The report found that digital divide and online rumors are still the main factors that reduce the experience of middle-aged and elderly people using the Internet. The survey results show that online shopping, money transfers and appointment registration are the main obstacles for middle-aged and elderly people to use the Internet, and Internet fraud and Internet Online rumors pose an important threat to the trust of middle-aged and elderly people online. 68% of the middle-aged and elderly people surveyed have received fraud information online, and 6.8% have suffered varying degrees of property losses due to online fraud; "Children's accident", "Customer service refund", "House purchase and financial management", "Fake public security/customs", and "overdue loans" are the most common fraud themes encountered by middle-aged and elderly people.
continues to help middle-aged and elderly people improve their digital skills and network literacy, and has always been an important issue in an aging society.In response, the experts at the meeting said that all sectors of society need to face it together, work together, and make targeted suggestions.
First, Professor of Sociology at Peking University Lu Jiehua proposed the necessity of government norms and guidance. "Purify the Internet environment, especially for issues concerning the elderly such as online fraud, the government needs to formulate relevant norms and standards to provide necessary guidance and supervision to enterprises."
Secondly, Jin Yongai, associate professor of the Center for Population and Development Research at Renmin University of China, pointed out that digital skills and digital literacy education for middle-aged and elderly people can expand online channels. In this regard, she introduced the "Silver Classroom" charity lecture jointly initiated by the China Population Society, the Population and Development Research Center of Renmin University of China, and the Institute of Gerontology of Renmin University of China, and invited experts related to population and geriatrics to "answer questions and answer questions" for middle-aged and elderly people through Douyin live broadcast. Currently, three periods have been updated, with a cumulative number of views exceeding 2.3 million.
Again, Professor Li Qiang from the School of Social Development of East China Normal University proposed new ideas for aging-friendly Internet platforms such as Douyin. She suggested that the platform should actively promote cooperation with professional institutions, customize digital skills, anti-fraud prevention and other elderly education content, and link resources such as Douyin e-commerce to stimulate the learning enthusiasm of middle-aged and elderly people through the form of "learning for points, points for shopping discounts".
At the same time, the report also pointed out the importance of "online culture feeding back", calling on young children to provide necessary intervention and help in the process of their parents' access to the Internet, and establish the concept that children are the "first responsible persons" for convenience and risk supervision of online use of the Internet by middle-aged and elderly people. Professor Zhang Wenjuan from the School of Social and Population of Renmin University of China suggested strengthening the collaboration between Internet platforms and children of middle-aged and elderly people, such as opening a "family account" for middle-aged and elderly users of TikTok. Children can understand the use of their parents through their accounts and give parents necessary attention and reminders.
In addition, Yuanxin emphasized that online and offline services should not be neglected. "We cannot ignore the construction of offline basic services just because of the vigorous development of digitalization. We must respect the diversity and differences of residents in digital society. For those who refuse to access the Internet, necessary offline services are still needed to ensure the convenience of their lives."
Researcher at the Institute of Labor and Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Wang Guangzhou gave suggestions from specific research methods. I hope that in the future, the research team can further distinguish the age effect and cohort effect of middle-aged and elderly people's Internet use behavior, in order to obtain more comprehensive and detailed conclusions, enrich the understanding of the characteristics of various middle-aged and elderly netizens, and provide more reference for the work of Internet products suitable for the elderly and social services.
[Expert Views]
Zhai Zhenwu (President of the Chinese Population Society, Director and Professor of the Center for Population and Development Research at Renmin University of China)
In the digital wave, let the elderly use digital technology more widely, and use the Internet to improve their quality of life and social participation, which will help our country better respond to the challenges of population aging. It is recommended that government departments, senior citizens' universities, communities and families work together to actively carry out digital skills training for the elderly, further increase the use of smartphones, improve the proficiency of their software, and help the elderly eliminate the "digital divide" or "digital blind spots".
Former new (Professor of the School of Economics of Nankai University and Director of the Center for the Strategy of the Elderly Social Governance of Nankai University)
"Digital Aged-friendly" is a concrete manifestation of the inclusiveness and friendship of the elderly group in modern society. Internet platforms need to start from the practical concerns of middle-aged and elderly people, continuously optimize product functions and platform content, and emphasize "to what they like" to achieve "enter the mind and heart". At the same time, we need to respect the diverse needs of the people. All kinds of social services should be combined offline and online to be compatible with those groups that reject digital life.
Yang Chenggang (Professor of the Institute of Population, Southwest University of Finance and Economics)
The use of the Internet and short videos by the elderly is a lifestyle that keeps pace with the times and is the active response to aging advocated by society.The main contradiction faced by the elderly at present is not the major advantages and disadvantages, but the contradiction between the elderly’s good wishes to enjoy digital life and the insufficient supply of elderly-friendly products/services, and the lack of digital skills and digital literacy for the elderly. Fresh and vivid short videos can arouse the enthusiasm of middle-aged and elderly people to learn and attract the elderly to actively learn online operation skills.
Lu Jiehua (Professor of the Department of Sociology, Peking University)
Digital technology has changed everyone's life and communication mode at present. In the digital era, the use of the Internet and TikTok has become an important social participation method for the elderly and is also a part of their social capital. We need to look at the problems encountered by the elderly in the process of accessing the Internet from a developmental perspective. To purify the network environment, especially to address issues concerning the elderly such as online fraud, the government needs to formulate relevant norms and standards to provide enterprises with necessary guidance and supervision.
Wang Guangzhou (researcher at the Institute of Labor and Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)
This project is very valuable. I hope that in the future, the research team can further distinguish the age effect and cohort effect of the behavior and characteristics of middle-aged and elderly people using the Internet, so as to obtain more comprehensive and detailed conclusions, enrich everyone's understanding of various middle-aged and elderly netizens, and provide more reference for the work of Internet products suitable for the aging and social services suitable for the elderly.
Zhang Wenjuan (Professor of the School of Social and Population, Renmin University of China)
From the overall perspective, we can fully affirm the positive role of short video platforms on the elderly, such as helping the elderly enrich their life experience and enhance social participation. The short video platform also has the function of elderly education, which allows them to learn more about external information and life skills. Internet platforms should also establish a collaboration mechanism with children of middle-aged and elderly people, such as opening a "family account" for middle-aged and elderly people of Douyin. Children can understand their parents' usage through their accounts and give their parents necessary attention and reminders.
Li Qiang (Professor of the School of Social Development, East China Normal University)
In the process of actively responding to population aging, policy formulation and elderly-friendly content construction should pay attention to the group characteristics of the elderly, and the individual needs of the elderly. It is recommended that Internet platforms such as Douyin actively promote cooperation with national professional institutions, customize digital skills, anti-fraud and anti-fraud education content, and link resources such as Douyin e-commerce to stimulate the learning enthusiasm of middle-aged and elderly people through the form of "learning for points, points for shopping discounts".
Zhang Zhen (Associate Professor, School of Social Development and Public Policy, Fudan University)
In today's digitalization and aging, short videos have become a new platform and new way to help middle-aged and elderly people better integrate into society. Internet platforms such as Douyin shoulder huge social responsibilities, which is worthy of recognition. At the same time, we also need to pay attention to the group of people who have not yet been integrated into the Internet, pay attention to their ideas and needs, and technology serves social development and serves people.
Jin Yongai (Associate Professor, Center for Population and Development Research, Renmin University of China)
Use the Internet and short videos can help the elderly strengthen their connection with friends and family, increase their possibility of making new friends, and also gain new opportunities to participate in various social activities such as education and training. This has a positive effect on improving the elderly's subjective sense of happiness and social adaptation. At the same time, the online and offline activities of the elderly are not mutually exclusive and substitutable, but mutually supportive and mutually promoting relationships.
Chen Huashuai (Associate Professor of the School of Business of Xiangtan University and Director of the China Rural Development Research Center of Xiangtan University)
We should encourage middle-aged and elderly people to actively access the Internet, especially those living alone and empty-nest elderly people, to help them understand relevant information and better participate in social activities. At the same time, the network rights and interests of the elderly should be respected and they should not be excessively interfered with their use behavior, but they should be given necessary reminders and guidance depending on the situation.
Edited by: Jiang Zhuyun
