South Korea

Background:

Due to fast industrialization and the process of becoming a society based on new technology and information, people are being left behind. A notable example of this is the elderly. In this global problem, this article will seek to venture deeper into the problem faced in South Korea. The elderly have trouble accessing modern technology such as kiosks and smartphones. For people aged 70 and higher, only 46.6% had reached digitization compared to the Korean average. This rate is lower than for people with disabilities, low-income people, farmers, and fishermen. According to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, digital devices are not elderly-friendly and create an uncomfortable environment. Here are two examples,

The first example is the kiosk. Kiosks are hard to use for the elderly because first, there is too much information. Kiosks have visual crowding, meaning they have a lot of visual information in a limited space. According to a study by Alabama University, the elderly are 30% slower at reading compared to the younger and the space between letters should be 31% farther apart. Second, there is a difference between meeting a clerk. Kiosks have a complex chosen format and are different by manufacturers.

The second is the smartphone. Because smartphone companies target the younger as they are the main users of technology, the elderly fall further and further behind. 97% of Koreans have smartphones, people who are at least 65 have devices using abilities of 64.7%, compared to the average person. According to a survey by the research team of Professor Gwang-il Kim of the Department of Geriatrics and Hye-jin Lee of the Department of Family Medicine at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, out of 505 elderly people, 63.2% people were unable to install or delete an app by themselves.

Main idea: Interview summary:

According to this data we interviewed elderly people who were close to us. I interviewed my grandmother. I also interviewed my grandparents.

Q. Do you personally struggle with navigating through the world with technology?

I didn't feel it personally until now because I didn't go out of the house often, but I'm having quite a hard time using my cell phone. It was okay to use phone or text messages, but I don't think I've done much activity to search directly through the Internet. I feel like I can't fit in with the world changing so fast. Machines are hard to use.

A. I don't use a lot of technology, but I sometimes need help from my daughter for certain documents because I don't know how to use the computer.

Q. What can you do through your smartphone? (ex. Calling or messaging or using the internet.)

I can make phone calls and use texting. But the letters are hard to see.

I mainly use phone calls or texts. Among them, texting is quite difficult to type, so I don't use it well, and I don't think I've used many other functions

Q. What kind of technological advancements are difficult for you to use?

· (South Korea) Are kiosks difficult to use? If so, what are the reasons? + Are you able to receive help?

I watch dramas through my pad. But sometimes the shows don't play and it is frustrating when I don't know the reason. I've used a kiosk at a community center but I couldn't figure it out and had to ask the staff.

I don't think I've had many opportunities to use kiosks. As far as I know, they are a lot in restaurants, but I usually don't go to restaurants and cook or simply order delivery, so I haven't really used kiosks.

+There are elderly who have used the kiosk before. Problems include not being used to touching the screen and something being done. Following the correct order and needing to choose a lot of things but a long line making the elderly nervous are also difficulties the elderly face.

+Other problems other kiosks are having trouble riding a taxi late in the night because taxis are able to be called through phone apps.

Q. Would you like to receive courses for the management of new technologies?

I want to learn how to type. I also want to search things in internet and do anything I could do.

Yes, but I'm not sure going to courses will be easy because it takes a lot of time for me to walk there.

Q. Do you feel heard in your struggles with technology's rise?

I don't think I'm that uncomfortable even if I just live like I used to live. The main problem is with cell phones, but I don't feel that much because I'm using them well. So if technology advances a lot than now and I'm uncomfortable because I can't adapt well, I think it'll be quite scary.

I don't really think so. But I don't use a lot of technology and tend to stay home than go out somewhere.

ex. of struggles: According to <Sedimentary Space> by Professor Oh Geun-jae of Hongik University, he said he felt a lot of loss after his retirement and felt like he had to flee to where the elderly felt welcome such as Jong-ro, where the city resembles the 1980s where he felt comfortable with.

Conclusion: Our point of view and solution.

I believe that learning digital devices and changing the kiosk to a more universal design can help the elderly fit more into modern society. Technology is changing fast and can be tricky to figure out.

A method of learning digital devices can be through books. Through large letters and enough pictures, the elderly can learn about the basic uses of the devices such as installing a healthcare app. Considering that some elderly may have trouble walking, a way to solve this can be by learning at home.

And kiosks should provide more universal designs. A common problem is that the elderly don't know how to start the order because the initial screen shows a lot of ads and may or may not include the order button which it is obscure. Also, the text size and the space between letters must be larger. If a change like this is difficult, an elderly-friendly button to make the ordering process simpler in kiosks can be implemented for more effective ordering practices. In hospitals or community centers, there should be people who can assist people who have trouble using kiosks.