E-Inclusion: The Digital Divide and ICT Acceptance among Elderly People in Macedonia Compared with Bulgaria and Romania

Despite the rapid growth of digital technologies, a significant proportion of the global population continues to be digitally excluded. According to the National strategy for e-inclusion, in Macedonia the age group from 55 to 74 years uses computers and the Internet significantly less, thus indicating a high disparity compared to other age groups. Based on the fact that the elderly citizens are a strongly growing population group in our society, the use of the Internet and ICT for older people is essential. But, it is doubtful whether the mere provision of computer courses or free Internet access is sufficient in aiming to achieve a more inclusive information society. Around 120 million European citizens have never used the Internet, with age being the principal factor. Bulgaria and Romania are both among the top five countries that have the highest rates of non-users in the EU. According to the Digital Agenda for Europe and Eurostat data statistics on digital literacy, both Bulgaria and Romania have a substantial percentage of the population missing from the picture on Internet usage. But, both of them have experienced reductions in the past, whose practices have to be encountered in the process of reducing the rate of non-users in Macedonia, towards the decreased digital divide. According to AGE, the Digital Agenda for Europe calls for halving the proportion of the population that has never used the Internet (to 15%) by 2015. This chapter reviews a part of the literature regarding the use of digital technologies among older people in the EU, as well as EU directives for overcoming the digital divide. The paper concludes with some suggestions and strategies that are adequate to the specific context.