Older Adults and Technology Use

Smith, A. (2014) Older Adults and Technology Use. Retreived from http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/04/03/older-adults-and-technology-use/

Senior citizens are the last group to adopt the use of technology, but they continue to make strives. The Pew Research Center conducted a study on technology use between senior citizens and the rest of the population. Two different senior citizen groups were studied. The first group consist of the more highly educated or more affluent seniors and the second group was older and less affluent with significant challenges with health or disability. Between those two groups, the affluent seniors saw the benefits of online platforms and had more access to technology. It seems as though high educated seniors are more acceptable to change and are willing to keep up with society. 

The research shows that more than half of older adults (65 or older) were internet users. Today, over half of all seniors go online and 47% say they have a high-speed broadband connection at home. Despite these gains, seniors continue to lag behind their younger counterparts when it comes to tech adoption. They often face a number of hurdles to adopting new technology. The first being physical challenges. Many seniors report having physical conditions and health issues, making it difficult for them to use technology. Some are skeptical about the benefits of technology and they often have difficulties learning to use new technology. 

In conclusion, the study shows that the more educated a senior citizen is, the more likely she or he is willing to use new technology. 

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