It’s a pretty good tech universe if you know what you’re doing... Maybe you’re someone who reads all the new tech announcements, knows that your phone is aging, understands what features you need and goes forth and buys the new gadget of the day. However, survey after survey show that while adoption is growing, more than half (59%) of older adults think technology is not designed with their age in mind. two-thirds (64 percent) of older adults believe they have the digital skills necessary to fully take advantage of being online.
…But older adults are insecure about their tech know-how. No surprise – all around them are demonstrations of skill from their younger relatives, for starters. And expectations are perpetually reset in the media, in stores, in restaurants – click on this QR code to learn more! Where’s the menu, what’s a QR code and who will explain? But eventually that novelty passes and a new one arrives – like the world of AI. What does it mean when your phone knows where you shop, what coupons you own and knows that you are passing a coupon-specific store. “Aren’t you going to go in?”
Training is everywhere if you know where to look. The first step always boils down explaining the benefits of technology advancement -- which is built on research. But once the research has been done, who carries the message forward? Online classes, such as Senior Planet, or senior centers nationwide, Boise State’s AI Tools for seniors, or individual organizations partnering with tech firms like Sensi.ai.
Since the last wave of new tech for older adults, much has changed. Long ago, it was access to the Internet, introduction of cell phones, then smart phones, then social media. For one thing, voice technology has become commonplace, perhaps up to half of the US population has interacted with a voice assistant. Today people expect to be able to speak to a device – and are surprised when it doesn’t respond. And voice-initiated requests for information can be the quickest way to solve a problem or learn about a feature. Moving forward, older adults will hopefully learn more about AI capabilities like remembered conversations, pattern recognition in health data, and personalization of answers.
