The Digital Divide

Seniors out of all age groups today, have the lowest rate in technology adoption but data has shown that seniors are now, more digitally connected than ever. The percentage of seniors using  phones are 18%, but that number is slowly increasing and are still lacking compared to the usage of other age groups. And the older the age groups of seniors get, the usage rate decreases drastically. However, there are many good reasons for this such as health issues affecting the elderly, skepticism about technology, as well as not having the knowledge to know how to use a smartphone which is the most common issue as to why many seniors do not use smartphones. And because of the frustration that many of the elderly face from not knowing how to use their phones, many abandon their smartphones and use nooks or kindles instead which have become very popular among the elderly and accounts more for most of their technology usage.

Vision

Many seniors cannot read the writing on their phones because of vision impairment. As they get older, their vision deteriorates with time making it harder for them to see the small letters on their phones. Their lenses inside their eyes become less flexible making it harder for them to focus on objects that may be far away or too close to them.

Touch

The selection of buttons require touch which poses a challenges for a majority of older adults who have lost sensitivity to tactile-feedback. As people tend to get older, the elasticity of their skins makes it hard for their fingerprints to be captured. And because of this, their phones can not easily register whether or not their fingers are touching their phones.

Memory

Due to memory loss, seniors can forget how to perform specific functions on their phones. As they get older, the hippocampus (the region of the brain involving the formation and retrieval of memories), deteriorates with age. Also, the amount of blood that flows through the brain decreases which impairs their memory and changes their cognitive skills.