Aussie seniors are the world’s most tech savvy
Leigh Marcos is a mother of two who is passionate about the environment.
More senior Australians are embracing technology than ever before. Almost 80 per cent of over 65s are now online, compared to around 65 per cent four years ago. In fact, Australian seniors are ahead of the USA and the UK with their use of the internet and other technology.
The Australian Communications Media Authority published a report examining how over 65s engaged with technology. The report discovered that many older Australians were positively embracing the modern digital age. It also found that most seniors access the Internet from a computer at home, but an increasing number are using a tablet or phone.
Lack of confidence an obstacle to modern technology
But there are many seniors who are still uncertain about engaging with technology. Older adults often lack confidence to use technology such as computers and worry about how any memory problems they might have could impact on their abilities. Issues such as a decline in vision and hearing, as well as a reduction in motor skills are often obstacles that restrict seniors from feeling they are able to learn to use technology.
One in five older Australians aged 65 and over, have never actually accessed the internet. They believe that they are too old to learn something new. But experts say that where most older people have a hard time learning new things, it is not actually because of their age. In actual fact, it is because they make a choice to stop learning even though they often don’t realise it.
Technology improves quality of life
One aspect threatening the quality of life of older people is being excluded from information that is available in the digital world. This isolation will only continue as technology develops. Seniors who have chosen to embrace technology have found that it has opened up a huge new world of possibilities and opportunities which have helped them enjoy more independence. It has allowed them to engage better with their local community, stay in touch with relatives who may live a distance away and have the independence to do more for themselves.
Useful (and fun) apps
A key way that technology is enhancing the life of seniors is with the huge number of apps available. These apps can be downloaded onto a tablet or smart phone and can help with every day activities, keep you healthy and can also be quite fun. Here are a few suggestions:
- Mint is a finance app that helps keep track of your finances.
- WebMD contains information on medical conditions and advice for healthy living and a symptom checker.
- Blood Pressure Monitor keeps track of your blood pressure.
- Find My iPhone is very useful when you cannot find your phone.
- Voice Reading will read text out loud.
- EyeReader is a magnifying glass.
- Crosswords Classic offers fun crossword puzzles.
- iBooks lets you download books to your iPhone.
- Emergency AUS provides real time emergency information for Australians.
- FaceTime lets you talk to your friends and relatives 'face to face' wherever they are in the world.
Be tech-savvy
For many older people, technology can be incredibly overwhelming and even intimidating. So they choose to avoid it completely. But to help seniors to become more tech-savvy, many more user-friendly devices have now come onto the market. There are also many 'how-to' sites for people of all ages to learn how to use new tech with step-by-step guides.
Seniors shouldn't be missing out on the technology revolution that's all around us. The benefits it can bring are immense and with just a touch of a button, a tap on a screen or a click of a mouse, there is a whole world you can discover without even leaving your home.
Written by Leigh Marcos.