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Citizens Online – a research project on the experiences of people aged 50-70 during the pandemic

Citizens Online has been commissioned by the Centre for Ageing Better to find out more about the experiences of people aged 50-70 during the pandemic.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has presented a huge variety of challenges. The restrictions and guidance introduced to slow the spread of coronavirus/Covid-19 have dramatically shifted work, and access to goods, services, entertainment and social connection, to online alternatives.

Citizens Online is an independent charity that works to ensure that people aren’t excluded from the online world we now live in. We have been commissioned by the Centre for Ageing Better to find out more about the experiences of people aged 50-70 during the pandemic.

Before the pandemic, we knew that around a fifth of adults lacked Essential Digital Skills. We know from the large network of organisations we work with, and from members of the public themselves, that Covid-19 restrictions have changed the way digital skills support is delivered, and has given many people new motivations to get online.

We’d love to hear from you about how people aged 50-70 have used the internet during this time, and whether they’ve been able to access support in order to do so.

While many people in this age group were already confident with digital before the pandemic, many others weren’t as confident with new tasks they were now being asked or expected to do online, and still others were not internet users at all before the pandemic.

We want to hear from organisations about their experiences:

• Has a lack of access to the internet or digital skills affected your service users during this time?
• Have you provided help with digital devices, connectivity, or digital skills?
• Have you started to do these things, or made new connections with other organisations that do?
• What has been the effect of the pandemic on the support you are able to provide?

If you’re an organisation that has been working with people aged 50-70, please fill in our short survey for organisations.

If you’re aged 50-70, please fill in our survey for individuals (and if you’re not, please pass the survey on to people you know, or help someone who is in this group to fill in the survey!) “

Please visit the Citizens Online Website for survey deadlines and more information about their work.