Australia’s next power users

Forget about millennials when it comes to the digital frontier. The next generation that’s going to dominate the technology landscape is seniors aged 65 and over, but I don’t think they or anyone else really knows it yet. I’m curious to see what will happen on the shelves of JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman — and Amazon et al — to accommodate this demographic. It’s a fact that Australia has an aging population, and with age comes numerous challenges in terms of a person’s health. Where are the devices for seniors that allow for limited mobility and reduced motor function? It’s fine having larger smartphones like the Apple iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy S9 to give more screen space, but they’re prohibitively expensive and hold limited appeal as the operating system is still too complicated. Third parties and service providers also need to change the way they operate, as banking apps are too complex in their layout with small, fiddly icons and miniscule text boxes. How does someone with a mild tremor, who can still leave the house to do their shopping and catch the bus, cope with poor apps? I’ll tell you: they rely on their offspring to do everything for them, which robs them of a semblance of independence.

[ANGELA TRAINOR ]

Ed replies: There are some devices that exist for seniors, but generally suffer from ugly design and don’t operate the same way as their mainstream counterparts, which means that their sons, daughters and grand kids don’t know how to use them either. Apart from a gradual generational shift, more education for seniors to keep them connected is likely the answer. The government website beconnected.esafety.gov.au isn’t a bad place to start.