2020 Tech Trends of the 50+
by Brittne Nelson Kakulla, AARP Research, January
2020
Older
Americans are increasingly drawn to new technology, according to a new AARP
national survey, but they often do not take full advantage of their devices,
and they are concerned about privacy issues online.
In the
past year, 51 percent of older Americans say they bought some tech product. The
top purchases:
·
smartphone (23%)
·
computer or laptop (12%)
·
smart television (11%)
·
tablet (10%)
·
smart home technology or device (12%)
·
wearable device (7%)
Although
people ages 50 and older use smartphones, wearable technology, and smart home
technology at about the same pace as younger adults, device preferences vary
among people of different ages. Those under 50 are losing interest in tablets,
for example, but those over 50 continue to buy them, with more than half owning
one.
Although
older adults expressed enthusiasm for trying out new devices, their responses
indicate they don’t always use the tech to its full potential. For instance,
while about half (49%) of Americans own a smart television, just 42 percent use
its streaming or online features to watch shows.
Smartphone Savvy
The
study found that the generation gap in smartphone adoption is narrowing. In the
past two years, smartphone adoption has jumped from 70 percent to 77 percent
among older adults.
In
2014, when 8 in 10 younger Americans owned a smartphone, only half of adults
over 50 owned one. Today, smartphone adoption is 86 percent among Americans age
50 to 59 and 81 percent for those 60 to 69. Meanwhile, 62 percent of those 70
and older use smartphones.
Still,
younger users are more likely to report using their smartphones on a daily
basis. When older Americans use them, it’s most often for email, directions,
online searches, or checking social media.
Emerging Home Security and Smart Tech Market
AARP
finds consumers over 50 are helping fuel the demand for smart home technology,
such as home monitoring, security systems, home assistants, and smart
appliances. Many find the products are convenient and give them peace of mind.
Although many adults ages 50 and older are interested in buying smart home
safety technology, just 10 percent of older Americans are using these safety
devices now.
Older
individuals are particularly interested in using smart home and security tech
to see who is at the front door (59%), automatically shut off appliances (42%),
control a thermostat (38%), detect a fall or get emergency help (39%), and
monitor doors and windows (48%).
Yet
older Americans also see a downside: Only about 1 in 10 are very or extremely
confident that their interactions with any smart home technology will be kept
private.
Leveraging Health and Wellness Benefits
Older
adults welcome voice-activated home assistants. Ownership of home assistants
such as smart speakers has more than doubled in the past two years. Just 4
percent of consumers over 50 used a device in 2017 compared to 17 percent
today. Most report the devices are somewhat or very helpful, although 67
percent also say the home assistants sometime or always misunderstand them.
Three
in four older Americans want to stay in their homes and age in place, and
technology that allows them to get help in an emergency or track their health
virtually can be critical to helping them achieve that goal. About 40 percent
of respondents indicate they were interested in using technology that would
remind them to take medicine and tell their health-care provider if they took
it. Another 21 percent are open to videoconferencing with their health care
providers, the study finds.
If
offered a choice, about 53 percent of respondents say they would prefer to have
their health care needs managed by a mix of medical staff and health care
technology.
Data
privacy is a concern among older individuals who use wearable tech. While 66
percent of older adults say they’re comfortable sharing personal health-related
information from wearable devices with health care providers, 30 percent would
not share it at all. Just 8 percent of those over 50 feel comfortable sharing
digitally tracked health information on social media, AARP finds.
Building Social Connections Online
Three
quarters of all adults ages 50 and older use social media on a regular basis,
primarily Facebook, followed by YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Older
Americans most often sign on to social networks on smartphones (55%), followed
by computers (47%) and tablets (41%). They are drawn to these sites to stay
connected with friends and family.
Methodology
AARP
conducted the survey of adults ages 50+ in July and August 2019. The 15-minute
online survey was given in both English and Spanish. The national sample of
2,607 was weighted to reflect the demographics for American adults over 50
using the market research firm Ipsos.
For
more information, please contact Brittne Nelson Kakulla at bkakulla@aarp.org. For media inquiries,
contact media@aarp.org.
Suggested citation:
Nelson Kakulla. Brittne. 2020
Tech Trends of the 50+. Washington, DC: AARP Research, January 2020. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00329.001
https://www.aarp.org/research/topics/technology/info-2019/2020-technology-trends-older-americans.html
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