Surveys affirm increasing tech use among older adults, but for some, not so fast. Whether it is new data from Pew or AARP, some older adults refuse or are unable to use newer technologies, whether it is smartphones, online banking services, or (perhaps especially) social media. Maybe they prefer clamshell phones (450 million shipped in 2017!) They may not be interested in being the first to test a new gadget or service. Maybe they can’t get the packaging for a wearable opened without a hacksaw. For that matter, how many of us are storing a pliers in their kitchen for vacuum-sealed containers? But the tech of the day is particularly an anathema to a number of people, whether it is due to costly Internet plans, pricey and fragile smartphones, or hacker-improved, uh, enriched social media.
Older adults worry about losing the social aspects of in-person transactions. In the small but compelling study from the UK, titled appropriately 'The Wisdom of Older Technology (Non) Users', several cited valid concerns: fear of getting things wrong, the burden to become an ‘expert’ (as with use of product comparison websites), security concerns (like Equifax), and a legitimate worry that online shopping takes business away from local shops. There is plenty of media mention about social isolation and health of older adults these days, and suggestions about ways to mitigate the issue, generally suggesting visits or calls. the direct relationship between technology and mitigating social isolation still seems tenuous. In fact, for young people, tools like Facebook may worsen the problem.
What’s to be done about boosting in-person interactions – supported by technology? The key insight from the UK study? Older people want to connect with others – and clearly, the other studies show that it does not occur enough. Secondarily, the role of technology (if present at all) is to help people find ways to connect. Imagine a scenario in which a group of older adults attend a regularly scheduled event, whether it is a senior center that offers lunch, a lecture or concert series in an area populated by older adults, a ride service that brings older adults to medical appointments, a home care company that has multiple clients in the same age range and status, a local college with a life-long learning program of afternoon classes. Or a neighborhood watch program that notes who is stranded by their geography, whether it is warm or icy. Or a high school program that volunteers with local seniors for credit – and a new career path. Through each of these examples, technology access can be a persistent side effect.
from Tips For Aging In Place https://www.ageinplacetech.com/blog/do-older-adults-have-good-reasons-resist-technology-change
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