baby boomers

Worth a try – ask a question with a quantifiable result.  It seems we have ‘progressed’ from the days of a list of links when asking Google a question.  Now we get an ‘AI result’ – that is termed an ‘AI overview.’  How about what percent of people aged 75+ own smartphones?  Simple enough. The answer – 31% in ‘foundational benchmarks’.  Ah, but those were from 2017.  Guess it presumed I wanted that 9-year-old number.  Qualifying the question with ‘in 2026’ – the answer is 62-75%.  Sounds better, but this is a 2024 number, derived from a Consumer Affairs report, unfortunately labeled as updated in 2026.

Looking back to see the future.  Tech for older adults has been a market category for a long time.  It is documented in a 2009 Market Overview as ‘Tech for Aging in Place’ and is accompanied by a categorized list of tech companies that fit the needs of older adults at that time.  What is striking about this report? It’s basic assertions are unchanged – people want to remain in their own homes, as independent as possible.  The cost of long-term care was daunting and largely out of reach in 2009.  Assisted living cost was $36K/year in 2007 and was projected to grow to $51K by 2015.  Actually, it exceeded $75,000 in 2026, still largely paid out of pocket from savings and social security income – today only 3% of Americans have long-term care insurance.

How important is a smart watch?  Last year the Apple Watch turned 10.  By then it was in use by 23% of the smartwatch market worldwide.  And (likely many) more than 17% of US Internet households own an Apple Watch. Imagine – it is the only watch that has outsold the Swiss watch industry! It is increasingly used by many (particularly younger people) for health-related encouragement… ‘STAND! You exceeded your last week’s steps!’  And who previously had such an easy way to check your resting heart rate, know the outside temperature and UV, all at a glance?

Today's baby boomer is open to monitoring his or her own health. The population aged 62-80 are increasingly likely to own smartphones, smart watches, Wi-Fi in the home and other tech, such as hearables and chronic disease tracking tools. They may have hearing or vision limitations that could be assisted with new technology. They may have family members who are also interested in their wellbeing.  A large number them may be solo agers, divorced, widowed and living alone or a long distance from family.  The majority will remain in their own homes for as long as is feasible.

Some baby boomers check their personal data on smart watches or their phones regularly. They track their activities, tolerate the reminders to stand, wishing to do better than they did last week or last month. Maybe they stand on an ever-smarter weight scale – or go off to the gym to work out in groups or alone.  Why?  Maybe they are women (unaddressed at CES 2026) who worry about bone loss, have a justifiable fear of falling, or have already fallen.  Why don’t more than 26.9 % of women do strength training, to build muscle around bone to protect themselves in the event of a fall?

Can the news media generate new interest in an old tech category?  The Nancy Guthrie disappearance case is, at this point, an apparent tragedy. But hey, is it an opportunity to look at what-might-have-been-useful tech?  Count on the Wall Street Journal to seize the moment, offering ‘guidance’ on monitoring Mom and Dad.  For those WSJ readers with aging parents who were unaware of remote monitoring sensors and or location trackers, how reassuring to know that this tech exists!  And while on the subject, tech can be used to track children! Oh and by the way, tech is available to request a ride without using Uber or Lyft!

Fifteen years is a long time in the tech world.  In 2011, 30 executives across the tech industry were queried about how technology needed to change to accommodate older adults. Opinions in this AARP-sponsored report were obtained from Intel to HP to Google to Cisco to Microsoft to Philips, from Stanford to Georgia Tech to UCLA as well as multiple futurists and startups. The report is not on the AARP website any more, understandably because it is too old – but can be found here: Connected Living for Social Aging: Designing Technology for All.