The world moves fast, especially when it comes to technology. It’s very easy to be left behind, and it’s also easy to assume this is exactly what is happening to the older generations. However, seniors are actually doing a great job of keeping up, with more people over 65 getting online, and plugging into the modern world.
A study organised by O2 discovered that a whopping 77% of people over 65 have a personal computer, laptop or even an IPad. So much for thinking the older generation was behind the times! Many understand that being able to communicate digitally and use social media allows them to keep in touch with family and friends, connect with new people, and will help prevent them feeling lonely. There is even a rise in internet dating for the over 60s, as more single seniors find new ways to meet like-minded people.
It’s not just the internet which is proving a useful tool in senior citizens; mobile phones are also more widely used in this age bracket than ever before. Yet there is still a way to go, as an understanding of mobile phone features and functions can prove challenging to those who are not used to using them. Most older people want something that is both straightforward and easy to use.
Having a mobile phone offers a convenient safety line to family or emergency numbers, as well as being a great way to keep in touch with the grandkids, who can send text messages. Helpfully, there are now specially-developed big button mobile phones for the elderly, with larger, more basic buttons. These make the mobile experience much simpler, as it is easier to use the buttons and see the numbers. It’s all about those little helpful details, and paring these phones back to the basics, to ensure everyone can make the most of mobile technology.
Not everyone is comfortable with technology and even those who have mastered email and mobile phones still feel that the digital world is moving far too quickly. But with new designs in technology catering to our grandparent’s generation, nobody will get left behind.
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