Older Adults' Knowledge of Internet Hazards

Abstract

Older adults are less likely to be using computers and less knowledgeable about Internet security than are younger users. The two groups do not differ on trust of Internet information. The younger group shows no age or gender differences. Within the older group, computer users are more trusting of Internet information, and along with those with more education, are more knowledgeable about security hazards. The oldest women are less knowledgeable about security hazards. Older adults' greater risk when using computers and the Internet may be primarily due to cohort differences in education and computer use.

Thanks to Barbara J. Fenton for her assistance in coding data.

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Society for Research in Adult Development, Atlanta, April 2005.

Notes

^a One student and 22 housing authority residents did not answer this question.

^b Includes only those who did not cite another occupation.

^c Thirty-one housing authority residents did not answer this question.

Note. Higher scores on all measures indicate more knowledge of and/or caution about Internet hazards. The ns for each correlation, M, and SD range from 150 to 162. Significance levels are two tailed.

∗p < .05; ∗∗p < .01.

Note. Higher scores on all measures indicate more knowledge of and/or caution about Internet hazards. Tabled values for measures are factor loadings. Higher absolute values indicate stronger associations with the component. Variance indicates the percent accounted for by the component.

^a Current computer users only (47 university students and 41 housing authority residents); Respondents could choose more than one use.

Note. For the Trust Scale, higher scores indicate more caution in regard to Internet information. For the Internet Security Awareness Scale, higher scores indicate knowledge and awareness of Internet security hazards. Gender is coded 0 = female, 1 = male; Computer use is coded 0 = no, 1 = yes; Education is coded 1 = high school or less, 2 = some college, 3 = bachelor's degree or higher.

∗p < .05; ∗∗p < .01.

Note. For the Trust Scale, higher scores indicate more caution in regard to Internet information. Gender is coded 0 = female, 1 = male; Computer use is coded 0 = no, 1 = yes; Education is coded 1 = high school or less, 2 = some college, 3 = bachelor's degree or higher. For university students, R ² = .04 for Step 1; ΔR ² = .04. For housing authority residents, R ² = .15 for Step 1 (p = .001); ΔR ² = .04 for Step 2; ΔR ² = .02 for Step 3.

∗∗p < .01.

Note. For the Internet Security Awareness Scale, higher scores indicate knowledge and awareness of Internet security hazards. Gender is coded 0 = female, 1 = male; Computer use is coded 0 = no, 1 = yes; Education is coded 1 = high school or less, 2 = some college, 3 = bachelor's degree or higher. For university students, R ² = .04 for Step 1; ΔR ² = .08. For housing authority residents, R ² = .32 for Step 1 (p < .0001); ΔR ² = .05 for Step 2 (p < .05); ΔR ² = .05 for Step 3 (p < .05).

∗p < .05; ∗∗p < .01.