NOTICE: this is the author's version of a work that has been accepted for publication in Interacting with Computers. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version will be published in Interacting with Computers. Please cite this version of the manuscript as: Sayago, S., Sloan, D., Blat, J. Everyday use of computer-mediated communication tools and its evolution over time: an ethnographical study with older people. Interacting with Computers, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.intcom.2011.06.001 Everyday use of computer‐mediated communication tools and its evolution over time: an ethnographical study with older people Sergio Sayago 1a , David Sloan a , Josep Blat b a Digital Media Access Group, School of Computing, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, Scotland (sergiosayago, dsloan)@computing.dundee.ac.uk b Interactive Technologies Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, RocBoronat138 E-08018, Barcelona, Spain josep.blat@upf.edu Abstract Based on a 3-year ethnographical study, this paper discusses the prolonged use of Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) tools by approximately 400 older people in an adult education centre in Barcelona (Spain). Contrary to oversimplified views of older people as ICT users, this paper shows that they make a very rich use of CMC tools. Relevant elements of this use are their permanent desire to feel and be included, social, independent and competent ICT users. Despite the numerous interaction issues they face when using ICT, some are constant across different tools. Difficulties due to cognition limit their interactions more severely than those problems due to perceiving visual information or using the mouse. By examining the longitudinal aspect of the study, this paper addresses the evolution of technology use and whether the interaction issues that most of the current older people exhibit will be relevant when today’s more ICT literate young adults grow older. Interaction issues due to cognition are time-persistent, and independent of both experience and practice with ICT. Difficulties reading from the screen or using input devices are overcome with ICT experience. The strategies adopted by older people for coping with all these interaction issues are always targeted at feeling and being included, social, independent and competent ICT users. The results deepen current understanding of tools use in connecting older people with their social circles and the interaction issues most of them encounter when using ICT. The results also suggest that cognitive-related problems will be the most important ones in our work with the next generation of older people. Keywords: ethnography, evolution, computer-mediated communication, technology use, interaction, older people 1. Introduction An increasing ageing population and the importance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in daily living have strengthened the need for further Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research with older people. This paper discusses the prolonged use of Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) tools in out-of-laboratory conditions by 388 older people, aged 58-77, by analysing the data of a 3-year ethnographical study. A previous paper, which was based on the same ethnographical study, focused on their everyday e-mail use [33]. The results showed that three key elements of this use are socialisation, inclusion (i.e. using the same technologies as the most important members of their social circles – grandchildren, children and close friends), and independence (i.e. not relying on anyone else). Age-related changes in functional abilities and overall lack of ICT skills [21] are barriers to technology use, and the paper showed that those related to cognition limit more severely the use of e-mail tools by older people than others due to problems perceiving visual information or using the mouse. This paper extends [33] in two key directions. We discuss the everyday use of other CMC tools. For instance, older people make the effort to learn and use video chats (rather than e-mail) to keep in touch with their young grandchildren (aged 5-9) because video chats allow more natural and effective communication with them: “I chat with my grandchildren rather than e-mailing […] They’re between 7 and 9 and you should think that both are learning to write at school, so e-mailing is more difficult for them than talking to me!” We argue that the use of these and other tools is very rich, contrary to oversimplified views of older people as ICT users. These results confirm that socialisation, inclusion, and independence are not exclusive to e-mail use. 1 Corresponding author. E-mail: sergiosayago@computing.dundee.ac.uk. Phone: +44 (0)1382 385598. Fax: +44 (0)1382 385509 [FAO: Dr Sergio Sayago]. Postal address: Dr Sergio Sayago, School of Computing, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, Scotland, UK