On the occasion of Safer Internet Week, the Israeli Internet Association published today (Thursday) the findings of a comprehensive survey conducted by the "Geocartography" survey institute, in which 500 respondents were sampled from the senior population in Israel (ages 65 and older).
The survey revealed that the most common online vulnerabilities among seniors are fraudulent attempts to obtain personal information (44 percent of respondents) and consumer fraud (25 percent of respondents).
When it comes to reporting this type of injury and getting help, 40 percent of the respondents answered that they turn to the police, while 27 percent said that they get help from family members.
Hackers and fraudsters are taking advantage of the third generation for fraudulent attacks.
Illustration, photo: Getty Images
The survey also revealed that there is a difference between the digital needs of seniors in different regions of the country.
While in the Tel Aviv and Central region, the main need is to receive information about ways to defend yourself and new dangers online, in the northern region and Jerusalem, seniors mainly seek to enrich their knowledge in regards to exercising rights and receiving essential digital services.
The survey showed that the main uses of the Internet among the third-year-olds are receiving medical information (71 percent), receiving banking and financial services (62 percent), and making payments and bills such as electricity and property taxes (40 percent).
It also emerged that the percentage of social media usage among seniors is 54 percent - an almost identical percentage for carrying out actions and receiving information from authorities and government offices, which is 55 percent.
An elderly woman plays on the computer.
The use of social networks has increased significantly.
Archive, photo: Eric Sultan
It was also found that although the use of e-mail is of practical and professional benefit for receiving essential and financial services and information, there is a gap between men and women in the use of e-mail, with approximately 30 percent of women in their third age not using e-mail, this compared to 18 percent of men.
Meanwhile and following the findings of the survey, special training sessions will be held during the month in 100 community centers throughout the country designed to provide tools for seniors to deal with the challenges of the network.
The activity is shared by the Israeli Internet Association, Microsoft Israel, the "Baim Latov" program - the national volunteer system for senior citizens of the Society for Community Service and the national cyber system.
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