Older People’s Use of Digital Technology During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic is having a major impact on the lives of everyone, but in particular on the health and well-being of older people. It has also disrupted the way that individuals access services and interact with one another, and physical distancing and “Stay at Home” orders have seen digital interaction become a necessity. While these restrictions have highlighted the importance of technology in everyday life, little is known about how older adults have responded to this change. Methods: Two surveys, one in 2019 and another in 2020 collected data on a combined total of 1923 older adults aged 65 years and older in Canada. These looked at how older adults think about and use technology, with the 2020 survey additionally questioning how COVID-19 has impacted their use and attitudes towards technology. Results: While older adults feel more isolated in 2020, many feel positive about the benefits of technology and have increased technology use during the pandemic to support their health, wellness, and communication needs. Discussion: The results highlight the potential of technology for supporting older adults in various aspects of healthy aging. While these results point to the opportunities afforded by technology, challenges remain, such as how social and economic factors influence technology uptake.

Gamification and older adults: opportunities for gamification to support health promotion initiatives for older adults in the context of COVID-19

“… 36 Research from Canada shows older adults changed their technology use during the pandemic, using technology more for activities such as shopping, entertainment and staying socially connected. 37 Over half of respondents in another survey aged 65 years and over had adopted new technology since the start of the pandemic and had used technology differently to connect with others. 38 A significant opportunity has been identified to use digital games and gamification to develop social connectedness interventions for older adults during COVID-19.…”

Self-management of depression and anxiety amongst frail older adults in the United Kingdom: A qualitative study

“…Furthermore, data were collected prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and may not accurately reflect the additional impact on mental health from lockdowns or shielding, concerns around the risk of contracting Covid-19 and limitations on group activities (for example, many social groups ceased activities or moved online during the pandemic). It may also not reflect the full range of preferred self-management strategies of frail older adults today (for example, a potentially greater use of technology amongst the older adult population [ 80 ]).…”

The Moderating Effect of Digital Empowerment on the Relationships between Old Age and Online Services Related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Korean

“…In particular, it seems necessary to provide information by building a user interface optimized for older adults in consideration of their physical characteristics or the factors involved in older adults using digital devices. Further, Sixsmith et al [35] emphasized that re ning and using co-design principles on existing technologies that older adults use during the pandemic could lead to higher engagement and uptake by other older adults to support their wellness and independence. Martínez-Alcalá et al [36] highlighted that societies must consider access to ICT as a fundamental human right and, therefore, must ensure that everyone has timely access, skills, and technical assistance to effectively navigate a fully digital world.…”