Do you think there is enough apps on the market adjusted to senior users (65+)?

Question

Hi! 
Reading the research from 2017 (https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2017/05/17/technology-use-among-seniors/)   I found out that smartphone ownership among US older adults had jumped from 18% to 42% since 2013. Assuming it has been growing since I think there are not that many apps that are customized for these people. What do you think about that?

Elizabeth Waggoner · Accepted Answer

I've been thinking about this question a lot during quarantine, since it impacts so many 65+: going to grocery is risky, more loneliness, etc.. In my experience (family + selling products... not sure if research backs it up), people 65+ tend to be more wary of putting financial info into an app, and thus, maybe aren't using products like Instacart and other grocery delivery when they should be. Also, it may be that the products are just too complicated.

I would also love to see more social apps tailored for senior users, considering the amount of loneliness that quarantine has caused. I think there's a lot of potential there!

On a bit of a sad/cynical note, I've also wondered if part of why there is a lack of products is driven by a strictly economic view: tailoring products/teaching technology is costly, and customers 65+ have a limited time to be customers, thus limited return on investment. The next cycle of 65+ customers will be familiar with the existing tech. Not sure how much truth is here, but I suspect a bit.

How a society treats the eldest says a lot. We'll all eventually be 65+, and there will be new technology that is hard to learn. I hope that we can build more empathy towards these users, and that future generations will have empathy to me when I become a 65+ user!

Wayne Smallman · Answer

Hi @agnieszka_kopczynska, the healthcare angle is good, and also connects with the point made by @khannavid, in that relatives could be co-contributors to the input of data, so multi-user accounts and such.

Jiawen Ngeow · Answer

@elizabethwaggoner Hi, this is something ive actually thought about for a long time. Im from Asia and living in a country with aging population, and i've first hand experience both my parents struggling with digital inclusion. First of all, yes, there are not apps dedicated to them but secondly and more than anything else, there is an education gap.

For our generation that will eventually be 65 I think we're in a different boat because we grew up with technology, but for the current population they did not - and they now struggling with learning how to use smartphone, learning how to book a car on uber, learning how to shop without being scammed. it's a handful. i keep thinking about a platform that will provide education+onboarding to these older folks, because i feel that's where the gap lies. But cost to education is always high and there may not always be a viable business model behind it.

I've seen both my parents struggle to learn tech, feel powerless and desperate because they do not know how to use tech, and experienced myself feeling frustrated because of the time I've to spend troubleshooting and teaching them. The demand and the supply is fragmented and not a great match - i believe it can be fixed. It's something ive written in my idea bank and revisit regularly :P

Thomas Alan · Answer

I live in Japan and my in-laws are both in nursing homes. My father-in-law is American and lives in one home and my mother-in-law who is Japanese lives in a separate home. Each has different needs and so each lives in a different home. Many seniors here in Japan do use smartphones but from my experience their comfort level or usage is very much hit or miss.

I do think there’s an opportunity to bring tremendous value to the lives of the elderly, but the tech has to come with almost a zero learning curve. Smartphones, iOS or Android are still very intimidating for many if not most seniors. Obviously, it’s hard to generalize here and so I don’t want to. I’m in my 50’s but know more about tech after 35+ years of daily use than many “young people”.

I love everything about mobile but I’m not sure mobile applications are the primary solution here. Part of it for sure, but, I think voiced-based tech applications have more potential. Voiced-based solutions could provide access to information and functions that require zero training to use and could even be a form of companionship to the many with no one to talk to. Sad but true.

Unfortunately, the technology doesn’t seem to be there yet. I visit my in-laws weekly and spend a lot of time around this demographic. I have family in their mid to late 70’s who have more energy than many 40 year olds, but they still view computers/smartphones as magic, complicated devices made for “young people“. Yet when they see me talking to Siri or Google on my iPhone, they are blown away. The fact that all I have to do is ask google a question and I get an answer is nothing short of, well magic to them. They want to ask things too, but ...

We all know the responses you get combined with the tech understanding you correctly can greatly diminish the value here. Voice-based tech has come a long way but still struggles to really understand, literally or figuratively what the user is trying to do.

The best technology applications are the ones that seemingly go unnoticed to the user and just work. I think voice could be this in the near future with AI and machine learning but still seems to have a way to go.

I’m a digital marketing manager now. I was a webmaster for many years and taught myself how to develop apps on iOS, so I’m a nerd and this is something I think about a lot. Clearly 😂 My favorite tools today though are no-code / low-code tools like AirTable, Bubble, WebFlow, Coda, Notion, Stacker etc.

I place far more value on the overall user experience however than the tech behind the experience.

Helping seniors, or anyone for that matter feel connected using technology without thinking about the technology, that’s value. At least this is how I see it.

Wayne Smallman · Answer

Hi @khannavid, the AdWords targeting is an excellent point; while dad paid for the Kindle, I was the one who made the initial recommendation and then sorted out the purchase.

Navid K · Answer

@agnieszka_kopczynska I see things a little different than Wayne. I think "App Usage" of this age group is irrelevant.
Let me give you an example: If you make an app to connect blind people, your target group in AdWords probably shouldn't be blind people. But you can target their families.
I think it's the same problem with more senior users. Of course, your app should be very easy-to-use, but there's nothing unsolvable about it.
Another good approach would be making bots for popular messengers. A lot of older users use Whatsapp, Telegram, etc. If you bring something useful to these old familiar platforms, it makes everything more easy.

Aga Kopczynska · Answer

Hi @waynesmallman, thank you for your answer :) I think you're absolutely right that digital devices usage depends on many factors and I agree with what you've said about the base (I would also add healthcare apps - blood sugar monitoring, etc.).

Still I think there is a lot to do from the tech&design&user experience side to encourage seniors' digital devices usage.

What you've said about your dad I completely get it and putting aside unpleasant scum experiences, in my opinion making more of uncomplicated and functional apps might help lower our parents' digital anxiety.

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Sterling Sansing · Answer

I believe an application that stimulates the mind for seniors would be a big hit. My grandfather passed away last year from Parkinson's and I truly feel it is was because after retirement he stopped reading and doing mental exercises daily. He spent his days mindlessly tuned into Fox News. I am a firm believer that if you don't use it you loose it. Your brain that is 😊

Elizabeth Waggoner · Answer

@jiawen_ngeow thanks for your reply and insight! Agree 100% with the education gap. I just wonder if we overestimate our ability to learn new tech and underestimate how much technology will change in ~50 yrs. If you have any thoughts from your idea bank you would be willing to share I would love to read!

Do you think there is enough apps on the market adjusted to senior users (65+)?

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