How is the experience of using mobile apps for the elderly? Guangzhou neighborhood complains that the elder version is not easy to use

"Mobile phones are used for a long time every day, but there are still many functions that will not be used." "We want the voice prompt function" "The elder version is not easy to use, you should find the elderly to test before going online"... The old man "complained" to the Nandu reporter in this way during the interview. When more and more public services go digital, the elderly begin to become smart phone users actively or passively, which puts forward higher requirements for the elderly to skillfully use mobile phones, and also makes the Internet application ageing transformation more urgent.

It has been more than a year since the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology launched a special action to adapt to aging, how are the elderly experiencing the current use of smart phones? What are the other questions? What are their personal feelings and requirements for app aging transformation? Recently, Nandu reporters took to the streets of Guangzhou and chatted with more than a dozen elderly people in the neighborhood.

Chat, online shopping, video into several high-frequency words

More and more elderly people are also starting to keep their mobile phones in hand? Recently, in the "2021 Smart Elderly Assistance Model Survey" initiated by Nandu Big Data Research Institute, the National Governance Research Institute of Sun Yat-sen University and the China Aging Industry Association, nearly 80% of the elderly surveyed used mobile apps for more than 3 hours a day on average. Among them, more than half of the elderly surveyed (54.92%) use mobile apps for an average of 3-5 hours a day.

When the Nandu reporter visited various communities, he did find many elderly people who were looking down at their mobile phones, and what functions of the elderly in Guangzhou loved to use mobile phones? "Health code, chat, circle of friends, WeChat pay, Alipay, Douyin, Taobao, Pinduoduo..." This is the most commonly used mobile app among the elderly in Guangzhou.

"I often use photo apps, because I like to travel, and when I come back to see the photos and videos I took, it's a very happy memory." Aunt Ou, who is more than 70 years old this year, told reporters about her experience in using the App, she said that she loved photography when she was young, and now she has joined the art troupe, so she loves to record life with photos and videos. Aunt Wang, who is nearly 70 years old, is more fashionable, "I have been in contact with smart phones for 10 years, and online shopping has been around for six or seven years, so there are many mobile phone software." "She told Nandu reporters that social apps commonly use WeChat, Weibo and Douyin; shopping apps include Taobao, Taote, Pinduoduo, Hema, etc.; in addition, there are pictures." But I still don't understand a lot, and I need to ask my son or friends around me. Aunt Wang said.

When asked what mobile phone functions she still wanted to learn, Aunt Ou told Nandu reporters that she wanted to learn to make short videos on mobile phones because she could send vibrato. "However, the juniors do not have time to teach, or explore on their own, and communicate with their peers around them." For example, if you want to buy something on your phone, I don't understand it at first, and I will learn from whomever I see. Talking about the mobile phone operation skills that he hopes to learn, more proficient in online shopping and making videos on mobile phones, it is also the "careful wish" mentioned by many elderly people in street interviews, and several uncles and aunts also asked Nandu reporters on how to make mobile phone videos.

"Fear of making a mistake, fear of being deceived" is still a hurdle

Nandu reporters also found that although many elderly people have begun to use smart phones more or less, when asked to share their feelings about using mobile phones, the subconscious feedback of most elderly people is "we don't use mobile phones very much", and then asked the reason, they said that "it is too easy to point wrong" and "afraid of being deceived"...

For example, the 75-year-old Aunt Fu said that in addition to the red envelopes sent by her family on her mobile phone, she generally does not grab red envelopes. She also doesn't shop online, and "I sometimes can't believe what's going on online." Aunt Ou raised her own concerns, "I don't know much about online banking, although I have used it, but I dare not operate, because the mobile phone is small, you enter a wrong number on the end, you will transfer the money to others." Uncle Peng, 76, said, "Sometimes there is a kind of psychology that is afraid that these mobile phone software login or registration require personal information, and I am generally more cautious." ”

"'Don't dare to use it, won't use it', this sentence simply speaks my heart." Aunt Li sighed to the Nandu reporter in this way during the interview. Aunt Li is 68 years old, and since her husband's death, she has lived alone at home. She showed nandu reporters her smartphone, which has been used for more than 3 years and is still as new as ever, except for the software that comes with the system, only a few apps are installed on the main page. She said that her children are not around, her health is not good, and learning to use smart applications is not an easy task for her.

"Actually, I would like to use more smartphone apps in my daily life, but I really don't use them." Aunt Li said that she once accidentally touched a pop-up advertisement on an App, which involved online small loans. "I turned it off at the first time, but after a few days I was bottomless, although I later determined that I was not 'borrowed', but I never dared to use the app."

"Intelligent customer service can't solve my problem at all"

Nandu reporter noted that the registration steps are cumbersome, customer service is difficult to find, difficult to solve the problem, but also many respondents use mobile phones when the feedback is more. Several guangzhou elderly open university students interviewed mentioned contacting customer service: "Those customer service is like robots, the answers to the questions are very uniform, very routine, lack of personalization." Another point is that contacting customer service requires us to type, which is also a hurdle. Several elderly people told Nandu reporters that when they encounter the need to contact customer service, they often can't find the entrance, and they are more inclined to seek help from the young people around them. Another aunt chose to give up because she couldn't find the customer service entrance, she said: "The most wandering thing is to solve these problems, I don't know where to go in to find customer service, I really can't do it, I gave up." ”

"Enterprises now like to use artificial intelligence customer service, which seems convenient, but it only reduces the burden of enterprises, but it throws the trouble to customers, and intelligent customer service is too impersonal." Aunt Peng, who is close to 80 years old, complained in an interview, talking about artificial customer service, Aunt Peng also felt that it was not suitable for aging, "I think the customer service in the dialogue to talk about things is too professional, sometimes to solve a problem, the other party and I went around for half an hour, the phone bill is spent a lot, but still can not solve the problem." ”

Uncle Peng, who often shops online, also told Nandu reporters that human customer service can't solve problems many times, "Although they are very enthusiastic about helping you, but because they can't understand what I say very well, I can't understand the professional vocabulary of customer service, so I can't solve the problem." ”

The effect and promotion of the ageing App still need to be strengthened

The digital society puts forward higher requirements for the elderly to skillfully use mobile phones, highlighting the necessity and urgency of the mobile Internet adaptation to aging transformation. In fact, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has been launching a special action to adapt to aging for more than a year. In order to help the elderly to cross the "digital divide", in December last year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the "Special Action Plan for Ageing and Barrier-free Transformation of Internet Applications", requiring the first batch of 43 apps to promote the adaptation and barrier-free transformation as soon as possible, and launch more products with large fonts, large icons, high-contrast text and other functional characteristics for the elderly. After the first anniversary

Have the problems of complex interface interaction and unfriendly operation been solved? Does the problem that the elderly dare not use, cannot use, and cannot use the Internet application still exist? Recently, on December 9, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said at the press conference of the "Opinions on Strengthening the Work of Aging in the New Era" held by the New Office of the State Council that for the elderly to use smart phones, heart-warming services such as "one-click call-in" and "love channel" have been developed, which have provided services for 70 million elderly users, and completed the transformation of 173 websites and Apps, solving the problems of the elderly who cannot understand, learn and use them poorly.

According to the survey data of Nandu Big Data Research Institute, when asked "do you know or use the 'elderly version' of the mobile phone software (App)", only about a quarter (24.64%) of the elderly know and use it, more than one-third (34.78%) of the elderly said that they "have heard of it, but do not know where to download or use it", and more than one-third (34.78%) of the elderly said that they have not heard of it, but want to use it.

For this problem, the old people in Guangzhou neighborhoods also have something to say. Most of the elderly interviewed have not heard of or used the age-appropriate version of the App, of which Aunt Li said, "I don't know if there is a version switch, but it is really necessary for the elderly to know the age-appropriate version and contact the App customer service simply and quickly." Aunt Li said, "App is suitable for aging and transformation, and we elderly people will be more active in learning and using!" ”

Several students of Guangzhou Open University for the Elderly told us that we tried to use it, but thought it was not convenient, "The word is too big and strange, after reading a page of content to turn around, I feel that there is no need to do so big, suitable aging should not just enlarge the font size." Aunt Peng pointed out, "Before the company launches the ageing version of the App, it should first try it in the old people's homes, otherwise it is immature to take out a version." ”

Written by: Nandu reporter Xiong Runmiao, Chen Zhuorui, Ling Huishan, Yuan Jiongxian, Wang Yixue

Video: Nandu reporter Xiong Runmiao Chen Zhuorui