Seniors and Technology. Your Resource Guide to Making it Easy!

Many seniors are taking the time and making the effort to learn about some of the newest high-tech gadgets  developed to make life easier.  There’s no doubt however, that many other seniors are avoiding contact with this technology, simply because it seems hard to grasp.

If you are in the position of caring for a senior, you may want to take advantage of some of the tips below regarding seniors and technology. Senior care is often about making them more comfortable with the world around, and modern technology is certainly a part of all that. Try some of these recommendations below to help make your efforts more enjoyable for yourself and for the senior you care for.

Some of the biggest barriers to seniors becoming comfortable with modern technology, found by researchers, is the lack of familiarity with all the terminology associated with it, and also some of the physical challenges which seniors are confronted with. An extensive study of this subject was conducted by the Pew Research Center, and the study uncovered some interesting results.

Although many elderly people do go on the Internet (73% now as opposed to 14% in the year 2000), and many of them have bought streaming services like Netflix, they simply don’t use these services effectively, because they’re unsure of how to use them, and are somewhat bewildered by the options available to them. More seniors also own smartphones, but aren’t really sure how to use them, and certainly can’t get the most out of them.

What the study has made clear is that seniors require a little more understanding and a little extra instruction on how to use some of today’s modern devices, so they don’t simply give up in frustration. When procedures can be explained to them clearly, without using all the buzzwords and acronyms they don’t know, then they can make much better use of these devices. In some cases, it may become necessary to involve seniors in the design of these devices, particularly where physical limitations may be a stumbling block to usage.

It has been estimated that there are over 600 million seniors in the world today, aged 65 and above, and by the year 2030 that figure is projected to reach one billion. This means that there is an enormous, almost untapped market for electronics and gadgets which could conceivably be reached, so it is well worth the while of designers, developers, and marketers to include seniors in their processes.