We Are Leaving Older Adults Out of the Digital World

Across the United States, 33 percent of adults 65 and older say they are not Internet users, while nearly half who are users say they need assistance, reports TechCrunch . Online communication and connection can be especially valuable for seniors who are homebound, live far away from family, or have lost loved ones they depended on for social support. Seniors can use online tools to connect with friends and family through messaging platforms, video chat, and social media, even if physical visits are no longer possible. Technology also can help reduce the risks socially isolated seniors face, which include depression, cardiovascular disease, functional decline, and death. But doing so requires giving older adults digital skills. Jessica Fields with the University of California, San Francisco's Center for Vulnerable Populations writes that she works directly with isolated seniors to deliver low-cost Internet, tablets, and digital training via the Tech Allies program. She contends, "Tech Allies measurably improves older adults' use of technology and confidence in key digital skills. Programs like this, which embed technology training in existing community-based organizations, should be expanded, with increased funding prioritized at local, state, and federal levels and with greater involvement of technology companies and investors."