Older Generations Are Becoming More Tech Literate
Older generations might not be as tech-illiterate as some might assume, a new study has revealed.
With the onset of social media and online dating, more grandparents are using internet platforms and finding it easier to pick up new technologies.
This is according to a study by Grandparents.com, who found that 70% of survey respondents had active Facebook profiles, 30% check Pinterest regularly and 8% are on Twitter and Instagram.
The findings back up the recent Pew Research Centre report that noted a massive increase in social media activity amongst seniors between 2005 and 2015.
And 60% of those surveyed said they only sometimes need help navigating technology, with almost 20% calling themselves “extremely” fluent and find new technologies “easy for me to use.”
The CEO of American Grandparents Association, Steve Leber, said: “What we’re seeing is an older generation rapidly adapt to new modes of connecting and communicating so that they can maintain wonderful relationships with their grandkids.
“There have been major shifts over the past decade, and grandparents are using smartphones to stay up to date on everything from current events and the stock market to last night’s sports scores.
“The majority of older adults are shopping, searching and conducting a significant amount of their lives online. This group is more technologically sophisticated than they’ve ever been.”
Despite this, grandparents in America still maintained that they would prefer to meet a new romantic partner in a face-to-face scenario, with 70% choosing an offline meeting, and 5% saying they’d prefer to meet someone on an online dating platform.
In the US, statistics have showen that over 45% of adults over 65 are divorced, separated or widowed, and 17% feel isolated.
Former Match Group CEO Sam Yagan has previously called senior dating “the fastest-growing part of the market.”
Read more about the study here.
