1. How Can Communication Media be Altered for Aging AdultsA Literature Review PresentationCOMM 385-01 Media RelationsMetropolitan State UniversityAllyson Linden

2. Aging Adults and CommunicationMedia The current generations of elders along withprevious generations of the aged population areconsidered to be heavy users of traditionalclassical media products, such as television andradio. Regarding the possession and usage of mediatechnology in the households, elderly (in this case50+) significantly own fewer up-to-dateinformation, communication and entertainmentproducts such as widescreen TV sets, MP3players, or computer technology and broadbandinternet (ACTA 2007). (Dogruel, 2010) 3. Factors to Consider Internet mediums are becoming more popular Todays aging adults (typically considered age55+) are not familiar with new technology It takes longer for aging adults to learn newtechnologies 4. Tomorrows Generation of Elders Tomorrows elders with disabilities will differconsiderably from their predecessors in their useof wireless technologies, including how frequentlythey use them. In a 2003 study of 665 people with disabilities,51% of those aged 40-59 years said they usedtheir cell phone every day, while 35% of those 60or older said that they used their mobile phoneonly for emergency situations (Mann et. al.2004). (Jones, 2010) 5. The Controversy- Background Psychomotor functioning decreases with agefrom several possible different conditions. Thiscan make finger movement on a keyboard,gripping a stylus, moving the wrist to manipulatea pointing device and more gross movement suchas reaching for a pointing device, or moving alight pen across a monitor with subsequentlyrelated elbow and shoulder movement moredifficult. (Holley, 2004) The number of older adults in the United Stateswith arthritis or chronic joint symptoms isexpected to reach 41 million by 2030. (Holley,2004) 6. The Controversy- Question The struggle is in trying to find out if newtechnology really will continue to be popular withbaby boomers or if they will encounter the samechallenges as their elder predecessors thatstrongly impacted their abilities to use technology. Will medicine and technology advance together ina way that will prevent aging adults from beinglimited in their abilities to use technology? 7. Conflicting Research Many studies have found that the elderly tend touse mass media, especially newspapers and TV,to a larger degree than younger groups Older people choose media based on the value ofinformation and not entertainment. This supports newspapers as the top media sourcefor elders There is also still a belief that television might bereplacing newspapers for elders 8. Altering Visual Media Add a visual interface to use larger type fonts withhigher contrast ratios; most computer operatingsystems already have this kind of technology. Seniors experience reduced color sensitivity inthe range of violets, blues and greens. (Holley,2004) Avoid using these colors. 9. Altering Audio Media When focusing on a senior population researchshows that Using sounds in the, 5 to 4 kilohertzrange (Willot, 1991) and sounding tones atrelatively loud decibel levels should help. (Holley,2004) If speech sounds are used in an interface,maintaining mid-frequencies will help thecomprehension of older adults. Rate of speechand background noise has a differential effect onolder as compared to younger adults. 10. Tips for Altering the Design ofdifferent Media sources Break information into short sections Minimize the use of jargon and technical terms Use 12- or 14-point type size, and make it easyfor users to enlarge text Use high-contrast color combinations Such as black type against a white background Provide a speech function to hear text read aloud 11. Tips for Altering DesignContinued Provide text-only versions of multimedia content Minimize scrolling Make it clear how the information on the websiteis organized Keep the website structure simple andstraightforward Group related topics visually Write a clear, informative heading for eachsection 12. Tips for Altering Content for ElderAudiences Limit the number of points you make Put the key message first Keep paragraphs and sentences short Write in the active voice Write in the positive Be direct Give specific instructions If the instructions have more than one step, number them 13. Tips for Altering ContentContinued Address your web users by using you Choose words your web users know Define unfamiliar terms Provide summary information Avoid using italics Put all text in uppercase and lowercase letters; never use all capitals. 14. So What? How do aging adults use the internet and whereexactly do they get their information? Where will the aging adults of tomorrow get theirinformation? Will they become accustomed to social mediaand follow news on Twitter or Facebook? Lets be honest Facebook is not exactly user- friendly for seniors but could we get them there?