Study: Technology Use Growing Among Older Adults

A Pew Research Center study published in 2022 found that older adults’ use of technology has grown markedly in the past decade. The study did not break down the usage between men and women; however, the information still offers interesting intel about the digital divide among age groups in the United States. The study found that:

• 83% of individuals 50-64 and 61% of individuals 65 and older own a smartphone.

• There’s been a fourfold increase between 2010 and 2022 in the number of Americans 65 and older who maintain a presence on social media. 73% of those 50-64 and 45% of those 65 and older use social media.

• 53% of individuals between the ages of 50-64 and 44% of those 65 and older have a tablet.

• 96% of individuals between 50-64 and 75% of those 65 and older use the internet.

• 64% of individuals 65 and older and 79% of individuals 50-64 use broadband internet.

• 22% of respondents between the ages of 50-64 and 8% of those who were 65 and older reported being online “almost constantly,” as compared to 48% of those between the ages of 18-29.

Another Pew study, published in 2021, included data on older adults’ use of social media. Those results included:

• 73% of individuals between the ages of 50-64 and 45% of those 65 and older report using social media sites.

• YouTube is the most popular website and app and increasingly has gained traction among older adults. From 2019-21, 83% of Americans 50-64 and 49% of those 65 and older said they had used YouTube.

• 73% of respondents between the ages of 50-64 and 50% of those 65 and older said they use Facebook.

Unlike our parent’s generation, technology increasingly is part of our lives. The possibilities --whether through connecting with loved ones via Zoom/Facetime or using apps, using social media to stay up-to-date on areas of interest, or taking online classes—continue to grow, giving older women an opportunity to keep learning and growing.