Here are the states with the most tech-savvy seniors
The adoption of technology is critical for seniors to carry out daily tasks, to monitor their health in real time, and to improve their quality of life. Are you in a top, tech-savvy state for seniors?
A new study shows a record number of seniors are using technology and D.C. has the No. 1 most tech-savvy seniors.
The last decade has been a terrifying time full of rapid digital advances as well as socio-political upheaval. And during the pandemic, everyone became more reliant on technology and life online, especially the elderly, the isolated, and the less mobile. For example, going to the bank to get a check made or to the post office to mail one largely became replaced by online banking and systems of autopay. Except that some seniors, depending on what state they live in, have a tenuous relationship with technology and these tasks may have become challenging and alienating.
The pandemic partly prompted the United Nations to call on the global digital community to make technology more accessible as the world ages.
Tech adoption from American seniors has surged in recent years across telehealth, banking, remote working, shopping, and communication. Which is admirable, given that most Gen Xers and all Baby Boomers graduated high school and likely college without the use of a computer.
Seniorly Resource Center has now released a study on the States with the Most Tech-Savvy Seniors using the latest data from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the Department of Health & Human Services.
Five metrics in all 50 states and D.C. were analyzed, including: Owning a computer, having an Internet subscription, working remotely, telehealth, and spending on technology devices.
Key Findings for Seniors:
Washington D.C. is the nation’s most tech-savvy state for seniors, followed by California, Utah, Arizona, and Washington to round out the top five. West Virginia, Mississippi, and North Dakota are the least tech-savvy.
· Nationally: Record Number of Seniors Using Technology in 12 Categories: Text (82%), smart phone (65%), shopping (63%), banking (62%), social media (54%), video chatting (48%), streaming (33%), smart TV (32%), smart home (14%), wearables (11%), taking classes (9%), and remote work (9%).
· D.C. No. 1 Best: 9.1% do not own a computer, 80% have an Internet subscription, 36% work remotely, 46% use telehealth, and the average senior spends $703 on tech devices annually.
· West Virginia No. 1 Worst: 17.7% do not own a computer, 75% have an Internet subscription, 10% work remotely, 35% use telehealth, and the average senior spends $83 on tech devices annually.
· Barriers to Tech Adoption: Despite rapid improvements, barriers still exist. Top reasons include lack of knowledge (40%), cost (36%), interest (32%) and privacy (30%).
