Seniors and Their Use of Information and Communication Technologies in the Czech Republic

Rising standards of living and good quality health care have contributed to people living longer. According to the Eurostat agency, in the next 50 years there will be twice as many elderly people worldwide. Research studies present that by the year of 2020 the percentage of people older than 60 years will be 30% out of the total number of inhabitants living in the developed European countries. The aging process, however, brings about new economic and social issues. Therefore there is constant effort to prolong the active age of these elderly people, who want to lead active, fulfilling and quality life in a sense of their inclusion, socialization and independence. This can be achieved not only by a continuous support from their family members, but current trends show an important role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in this process. The purpose of this article is to explore the role of ICT in the lifestyle of elderly people and show how the Czech elderly people can cope with the use of ICT in their life.