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KISDI Publishes Report on “Smart Device Utilization Capabilities Among Older Adults” 
- Need for Age-Specific Digital Education Programs 

Digital literacy gaps remain among seniors in their 60s and 70s, particularly in recognizing and blocking fraudulent or malicious text messages — highlighting “the need to strengthen cybersecurity awareness and provide phishing and fraud prevention training.”
 
The Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI, President Lee Sang-kyu) recently published KISDI STAT Report (25-06), “Smart Device Utilization Capabilities Among Older Adults.”

Based on data from the past three years of the Korean Media Panel Survey, the report analyzes how seniors in their 60s and 70s use smart devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs. Smart device usage was evaluated across four domains — (1) text and instant messaging, (2) internet use, (3) email, and (4) other applications — and converted into an average score out of five points to track year-over-year changes.

As smart devices become increasingly essential in daily life, seniors’ need to adapt to digital environments has also grown. According to the 2023 “Survey on the Status of Older Persons,” 67.2% of people aged 65 and older reported difficulties adjusting to the information society, underscoring the importance of assessing digital competency among older adults and developing tailored support measures.

Among those in their 60s, digital skills related to “text and instant messaging” were comparable to the national average, while scores for “internet use” and “other applications” increased by 0.21 points each between 2023 and 2024 — showing relatively greater improvement in these areas.

By contrast, adults aged 70 and older showed only marginal improvements across all categories. Except for “text and instant messaging,” their average scores remained in the 1-point range, revealing a clear gap compared to those in their 60s — particularly in the “internet use” category, where the difference was the largest (1.54 points in 2024).

Researcher Jiwon Park emphasized, “To bridge the digital divide, digital education content should be tailored to different age groups.” The report also found that awareness of how to identify and block dangerous text messages — under the “other applications” category — scored relatively low (2.42 points for those in their 60s and 1.40 points for those aged 70 and older in 2024). Accordingly, the report recommends supplementing basic device operation training with enhanced cybersecurity awareness and phishing and fraud prevention education.