For many European nations drastic demographic changes are to be expected for the coming years and decades. Until 2020, the percentage of non-working elderly will grow up to 40%. Potentials and needs of this  growing social group mustn't be forgotten, especially when trying to create a more competitive and dynamic European society.

Empirical studies show that we are faced with a rapid increase in participation of older cohorts in the use of modern information and communication technologies. These studies (e.g. Eimeren van & Frees, 2011; Gerhards & Mende, 2002; Initiative D21, 2011) investigate computer and internet handling in old age: it depends on socio-economic and educational background.  Furthermore, they  reveal the importance of social environments, individual living conditions and life styles with regard to the choice of media and media contents; however, these factors lie transversely to the differences in age and partially superimpose these.

 Life-long learning depends, among other things, on different personality traits (Kessler, Lindenberger & Staudinger 2009). Within the field of personality psychology, there is a consensus that the five-factor model represents the basic structure of personality. This model subdivides personality traits into five broad categories: extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experiences (Roberts, Walton & Viechtbauer 2006). There is also a growing body of evidence indicating that individual differences based on personality traits described by the “Big Five” factors are associated with different types of internet usage (Guadagno, Okdie & Eno 2007). For example, research has shown that people who rate high in openness to new experiences are more likely to be bloggers (ibid.), or that people who are predisposed to being open to new activities are more likely to engage in social media use (Correa, Hinsley & Zúñiga 2010).

Despite the general conviction that personality traits don’t  change over the life span, an increasing number of studies  report changes in personality traits.  Meta-analysis by Roberts et al. (2006) show that "openness to experiences" tends to decrease significantly among people older than 60. However, Kessler et al. (2009) draw attention to studies proving that this decrease with age can be delayed or compensated through educational measures.

Based on these findings, it can be assumed that individuals with a high openness to new experiences are likely to be the first to adopt new and innovative technologies. However, older people no longer economically active are hardly taken into account .

With regard to  rapid technological development characteristic of an innovative and dynamic society and in view of the demographic change, the following question arises:  Under what circumstances are non-active elderly open to new experiences regarding innovative technologies? We seek to answer this  in our analysis by drawing on two qualitative data records from the research projects CiLL (Competencies in Later Life) (Strobel, Schmidt-Hertha & Gnahs 2012) and IGEL-Media (Informal Intergenerational Learning for Media Competence) (Schmidt-Hertha & Thalhammer 2012). It is an explorative analysis based on a broader conceptual understanding, in compliance with the construct “openness to new experiences“.

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