Internet use during the pandemic

The COVID-19 outbreak changed several aspects of our everyday lives. During the widespread lockdowns, the internet came to play a crucial role, as many activities that used to be carried out in person had to be moved online, including working, shopping, accessing services, and talking to family and friends. While information technology helped to mitigate the negative consequences of the outbreak for the general population; for the elderly population, the use of the internet represented a challenge. According to data from Eurostat (2021), in- ternet use is less popular among the older than the younger generations: before the COVID-19 outbreak, 98% of individuals aged 16–24 used the internet, com- pared to 61% of individuals aged 65–74. However, this figure varied across the EU member states. The countries with the highest shares of individuals aged 65–74 using the internet were Denmark (94%), followed by Luxemburg and Sweden (91%); while the countries with the lowest shares of individuals aged 65–74 using the internet were Bulgaria (25%) and Croatia (28%).