几乎有500万64岁以上的英国人没有任何网络技能，许多老年人深信电子科技“太难而不想学”，并且是奢侈品，而非提高生活质量的一个工具。

　　这是由伦敦政治经济学院这周发布的一项关于网络在未来几十年对老年人的影响的报告中的一些发现。

　　伦敦政治经济学院发布的报告展示了老年人在日渐电子化的世界中的几个主要的挑战，以及老龄化社会利用网络的利弊。

　　由英国政府科学办公室受命，这项报告研究了在未来10年到25年社会和技术的改变对老年人维持社交网络的好处和坏处。

　　老年人利用网络的几个主要障碍就是认知和身体方面的困难，包括关节炎、身体抖动、记忆丧失和视力下降。

　　伦敦政治经济学院Damant博士说道：“总的来说，证据表明老年人对于网络技术特别矛盾，并且不愿意让网络渗入他们的生活中。”

　　证据表明电子技术和网络对老年人的影响是复合的，一些人通过网络获得了成就感和自尊，而其他报告却表明对于幸福感几乎没有提高。

　　作者发现电子科技对社交网络既有好处也有坏处，它既能打破传统的社交形式，也能让老年人与远方的朋友和亲戚通过电子邮件和Skype来保持联系，减少孤独感。

　　作者指出：公众部门和慈善机构的行动需要来保证网络技术并不会因为花费，身体、感觉或者认知能力的下降等原因而不让老年人接触到网络。

　　原文如下：

　　Internet is both harming and helping older people in social interactions

　　Almost five million Britons aged over 64 do not have any internet skills, with many older people believing digital technology is “too difficult to use” and a luxury rather than a tool for improving life quality.

　　These are some of the findings of a new report released by the London School of Economics and Political Science this week on the impact of the internet on older people in coming decades.

　　The LSE report flags several major challenges to engage older people in an increasingly digitised world, and also highlights the pros and cons of an ageing society using the internet.

　　Commissioned by the UK Government Office for Science, the report looks at how changes in society and technology over the next 10 and 25 years will help or hinder older people in maintaining social networks.

　　Physical and cognitive difficulties are some of the major barriers faced by older people using the internet, including problems with arthritis, tremors, memory loss and deteriorating eyesight.

　　“Overall, the evidence suggests that older adults are deeply ambivalent towards ICT and reluctant to let it encroach too much into their daily lives,” says Dr Damant.

　　The evidence shows that the impact of digital technology and the internet on older people is mixed, with some users gaining a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem, while other studies report little or no improvement in wellbeing.

　　The authors found that digital technology has the potential to both harm and help social networking. It can lead to a breakdown in traditional forms of social interaction but also allow older people to maintain contact with distant friends and relatives through email and Skype, alleviating loneliness.

　　Action from the public sector and charitable organisations is needed to ensure that ICT access is not denied to older people on the grounds of cost, or due to physical, sensory or cognitive decline, the authors argue.