There seems to be the misconception that as we age, we tend to get less and less technologically involved. It may be true, but in the rapid pace of the technological advancements of today and the proliferation of technology into our everyday life, it has become necessary to be involved with it. The degree in which seniors, 65 plus, have used and/or using technology has taken a whole new slant on how we may perceive the whole age to technology argument.
As this article clearly shows http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/04/03/older-adults-and-technology-use/, there are many factors; some surprising, as to the level of use of technology that our aging population are using.
There is a definite correlation between internet use and our age. Even though 59%, as an average as shown for the 65 plus, it is clearly shown that as we age, the usage goes down significantly. This could be attributed to access, moving into senior centers, or, health being some of the major ones. What is interesting to note is that education also plays a major part in usage. On page two, it shows that those with a high school education, or less, go on the net 40% of the time; whereas, if you are a college graduate and over 65, 87% of that demographic goes on the net. The other factor, income, is the most staggering in that the higher the income, the higher the usage. There could be a lot of assumptions for this such as; accessibility, affordability for the technology, social status and job, as well as the educational level. Regardless, it is not just the internet usage that follow this pattern, but as shown, so does the use of Smartphones, eBooks and tablets.
It is also interesting to note that from the beginning, we see that the number of seniors getting involved in all of this ‘newfangled’ technology is increasing at a rather steep curve. Have they come to realize that there is no avoiding it? Do they now have the time and energy to learn it? On that, it was pointed out that most seniors want someone to show and guide them to the use of it at the beginning, rather than just doing it on their own, as so many young people do. Once shown and guided, seniors tend to get comfortable with the process.
There you go kids, help mom and dad with it and although they will probably never get to your skill level, they may be able to in some small way, stay in tune with what you are actually living with and maybe even come to appreciate it a whole lot more.
As this article clearly shows http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/04/03/older-adults-and-technology-use/, there are many factors; some surprising, as to the level of use of technology that our aging population are using.
There is a definite correlation between internet use and our age. Even though 59%, as an average as shown for the 65 plus, it is clearly shown that as we age, the usage goes down significantly. This could be attributed to access, moving into senior centers, or, health being some of the major ones. What is interesting to note is that education also plays a major part in usage. On page two, it shows that those with a high school education, or less, go on the net 40% of the time; whereas, if you are a college graduate and over 65, 87% of that demographic goes on the net. The other factor, income, is the most staggering in that the higher the income, the higher the usage. There could be a lot of assumptions for this such as; accessibility, affordability for the technology, social status and job, as well as the educational level. Regardless, it is not just the internet usage that follow this pattern, but as shown, so does the use of Smartphones, eBooks and tablets.
It is also interesting to note that from the beginning, we see that the number of seniors getting involved in all of this ‘newfangled’ technology is increasing at a rather steep curve. Have they come to realize that there is no avoiding it? Do they now have the time and energy to learn it? On that, it was pointed out that most seniors want someone to show and guide them to the use of it at the beginning, rather than just doing it on their own, as so many young people do. Once shown and guided, seniors tend to get comfortable with the process.
There you go kids, help mom and dad with it and although they will probably never get to your skill level, they may be able to in some small way, stay in tune with what you are actually living with and maybe even come to appreciate it a whole lot more.