People have this perception that technology is focused on younger generations. While older adults seem to shy away from technology, they also realize they’re benefiting from it. The advancements have been catering to the older generations more than ever.
Many older adults are enjoying the perks of technology in their lives. One example of this is when research about smartphone use among seniors was conducted. It concluded that 59% of 65 to 69-year-olds use smartphones. The figure may have dipped to 49% among 70 to 74-year-olds but it’s still many.
This only proves that technological advancements have advantages that older adults enjoy. If you’re wondering what those advantages are, here are a few examples. This may convince you to let the elders you know enjoy technology themselves.
Entertainment
We get excited about watching a movie we’ve been anticipating for months. Fans feel shivers when they hear new music from their favorite artists. Entertainment brings joy to most including older people. A study cited that remembering positive events contributes to what makes older people happier. Music and any kind of media can induce nostalgia. Imagine how hard it was for older people to access media before the internet era.
Technological advancements have significantly helped older generations with accessing these memory-filled artistic creations. The internet has introduced the older generation to sizable archives of earlier media. Some of these were thought to be lost. Seeing something for the first time after so many years can bring a new dimension to entertainment. That’s what modern technology does to older people.
Safer living
The older a person gets, the more protection from injuries is needed. A safe environment is important for elders to reduce the instances of encountering accidents. But not all older adults can be monitored. Especially, most of them want to age in place despite being alone. This is where technology plays a big role in older adults’ lives. Security systems are very helpful in protecting the elders from intruders. The older population is the most prone victims of crime because of their vulnerability.
Another way technology helps old people is through emergency contact. For example. Slippery floors that didn’t undergo deck coating and waterproofing can cause accidents. An elder can slip on these platforms but if they have a smartwatch, their fall can be detected. The smartwatch can then call 911 immediately. These are just a few examples of how technological advancements can prevent crimes and injuries. It’s its way to protect older adults.
Healthier lifestyle
More and more apps are promoting a healthy lifestyle to people. There are apps for exercise and calorie counting. But there are also apps that older adults may find easier to use. Some fitness apps can track people’s progress with the simplest exercises. Since older people’s agility is limited, they can only do a select number of exercises. Apps that help track progress for these types of exercises can greatly help older adults.
Meanwhile, smartwatches can determine if someone has been sitting for a long time. They can tell people to stand up for a little stretching. That’s what most old people want to do when they want to get a little workout for themselves. At least they have a way to be reminded of that. Another thing that these smartwatches can remind them is to breathe for mindfulness. Good thing there are gadgets and apps that older adults can use to maintain a healthy lifestyle. These can inspire and encourage them to get fit and active despite their age.
More access to information
While its advantage is quite debatable, access to information is a necessity for everyone. Before, older people had to wait for the top of the hour before hearing the news segment. Newspapers have information that was technically topics from yesterday. Today, the internet has given the power to media for more real-time reporting. Older adults who love to read news could just pull out their phones and look through social media. They can instantly be met with the most important news of the day. Unfortunately, fake news is very rampant nowadays. Social media platforms are yet to resolve this important issue.
Communication
The elders have never been more connected than ever before. They found this gem of easy communication as a treasure. It’s now less complicated for older adults to initiate communications with their loved ones. Thanks to the internet and technological advancements which made this feat possible. Messaging services have user interfaces that are very easy to operate. They’re designed to be inclusive so that grandpas and grandmas down to children can use the service hassle-free. This made way for the older people to connect with the younger generations.
Older people may not be as tech-savvy as the young ones, but they’re benefiting from technology too. The last decades have changed the lives of older people because of technological advancements. Belonging to the older generation in this era would be something that the old people would be thankful for.
