Position Paper #3

 Bridging the digital divide in an ageing population

    As the global population age is rising more and more each year, the digital divide among different age levels must be lessened in order to create a more sustainable and successful world. In many countries, the life expectancy has increased to 70 years or more and in 2020, for the first time ever, individuals aged 60 or older outnumbered children under the age of five. While things like better nutrition and healthcare are partly responsible for this rise in global age, new technological innovations are also a huge part of this success. Things like big data and artificial intelligence have greatly helped to meet the demands of this ageing population.

    Whilst these new technologies have helped to bring along healthy longevity in people, they have to be created in a way that is inclusive to the older population who did not grow up in the age of technology. Some of the best innovations that have done a good job at this are smart systems that are used to detect falls, diseases and disease conditions, and reduce social isolation. These creations have done a great job at helping people who might not feel as at ease around smart systems as younger people do. 

    Before we begin to implement these large and creative innovations to close the digital age divide, we have to present a place for people to connect and learn in order to harness the digital skills they need in a new digital world. We have already come a long way, with 44% of those 50 or older saying they feel more comfortable with technology now than before the pandemic. As seniors begin to become more and more comfortable with these new technological advances, it opens doors to allow us to help them become more self sustained within the technological range. 

    In their article about ways technology can help the aging population, BiSmart writes about how helping seniors become more self-sufficient by implementing technology in their everyday lives could in turn allow them to expand their digital knowledge in skills. For example, installing motion sensors into your grandmother’s house could prevent falls if she gets up in the middle of the night. Or investing in a stove that turns off when it has been on for too long without cooking something could help prevent a fire in your elderly neighbor’s house. Small technology from artificial intelligence is quickly doing its part to help close the digital age divide. 

    Another way to help keep our senior citizens safe while also bridging the gap between generations in the digital world is by protecting them from fraud. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, 1 in 8 cases they see is related to financial exploitation. Thankfully, many banks see this and have already begun taking measures to try and prevent this from happening as often as it is. These measures include things like fraud detection systems and, hopefully becoming more of a possibility and reality in the future, virtual wallets. Applying these measures and simplified versions of technology for senior adults not only helps keep their personal information and data safe, but also continues to build their comfortability and dependence on technology. 

    Perhaps the greatest way to try and lessen the digital divide, specifically among Americans 60 years and older. Even though it has become a sort of running social media joke to make fun of older people trying to work technology, their lack of media knowledge can tend to leave them feeling left out and lonely. In San Francisco, the birthplace of technology giants like Facebook and Google, 40% of older adults admit to not having basic digital literacy skills and over half of those do not use the internet at all. Nationally, 43% of seniors feel lonely on a regular basis. Video chatting, social media, and virtual reality are a few things that can help decrease the loneliness senior citizens feel and keep them involved within society. 

    There was a specific part to this part of BiSmart’s article that I thought was particularly interesting and something that definitely needs to be taken into consideration. When trying to find solutions to the loneliness that the elderly feel as a result of the growing digital age divide, whatever we create must be tailored specifically to the senior population. Most of the new technological advances I see always seem to put the needs of senior citizens last. It seems like they make these innovations with many benefits in mind, but just tag on the fact that it is easy for seniors to use too. If we truly want to make things that are inclusive to the ageing population and help them grow their digital knowledge, we have to make sure they know the features that would specifically benefit them. The great thing about people that might not have as much knowledge as the younger generation is that they are not looking for anything too detailed or tedious. Small things like a big font and an uncluttered look can go a long way. 

    Overall, I think it is extremely easy for people, especially those of my age and generation, to skip over the gap that is happening in the digital media. While it might sometimes seem slightly funny to us, there are senior citizens out there who truly feel cut off from society because of this divide. Not only that, but with a rapid and constant output of technological advancements and innovations, it is not safe or healthy for so many people to be almost clueless when it comes to basic digital skills. We cannot and do not need to expect this ageing population to become 100% comfortable and knowledgeable with computers or smartphones or any other forms of technology. However, we do need to help them and push them to gain these basic skills in order to become self-sufficient, more involved in the community, and all around live a more happy and healthy life.