POSSIBILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES of seniors in using ICT

A) social and personal:

What	Poland	Latvia	Sweden
contact with family	x	x	x
heightening the need for education and personal development	x	x	x
broadening the variety of impressions in somebody's life	x	x	x
the computer illustrates a new way of how the world functions - it helps one to get to know the world	x	x	x
a feeling of 'young spirit' - the computer 'increases youthfulness'	x	x	x
filling up free time	x	x	x
maintaining contact with the world (websites, e-mail, discussion forums)	x	x	x
counteracting old age	x	x	x
the ability to be active in the 21st century	x	x	x
satisfying curiosity and the drive to know things	x	x	x
making new acquaintances	x		x
satisfying a multitude of mental needs in a simple way	x		x
boosting one's self-esteem, increasing self-confidence	x	x	x
strengthening one's position in the family, strengthening authority, broadening contacts, widening the common ground for agreement with the younger generation	x	x	x
building prospects for the future	x		x
supporting self-autonomy	x	x	x
stimulating elderly people's mental fitness	x	x	x
increasing openness to new experiences in the seniors' circles	x	x	x
overcoming obstacles related to the use of modern computer technology	x	x	x
developing elderly people's creativity	x	x	x

B) Computer: practice, education, personal development:

What	Poland	Latvia	Sweden
entertainment, games	x		x
'painting' pictures; making galleries	x		x
photo processing, creating e-photo albums	x		x
cooking/baking recipes	x	x	x
creating one's family tree	x		x
travelers' presentations	x		x
writing various texts, letters, biographies, memoirs	x	x	x
supporting the performance of one's current job	x		x
editing texts of public speeches and official letters/documents	x		x
handling household issues, e.g. expenditure lists, book catalogues, lists of tools, recipes	x	x	x

C) Internet: information and service:

What	Poland	Latvia	Sweden
entertainment, games	x		x
searching for useful addresses, e.g. those of doctors	x	x	x
using online bus/train timetables	x	x	x
checking weather forecasts	x	x	x
checking the quality of service, e.g. that of healthcare	x	x	x
checking medication	x	x	x
checking products, searching for purchasing choices	x	x	x
using information related to everyday life	x	x	x
banking	x	x	x
e-shopping	x	x	x
booking tickets, holidays, etc.	x		x
quick access to current national and international news	x	x	x
supporting the performance of one's current job	x		x
selling products made at home, perhaps thanks to other business activity	x		x

D) Internet: education, personal development:

What	Poland	Latvia	Sweden
watching certain TV programs, listening to the radio	x		x
the opportunity to 'look back into the past'	x		x
creating web pages	x		x
finding old friends	x	x	x
a safer, easier, and cheaper way to solve many issues	x	x	x
learning foreign languages with the use of the computer	x		x
looking up information in encyclopedias	x	x	x
provisional translations	x		x
going around museums	x		x
reading online press	x	x	x