Computers and electronics today often market themselves as user friendly, but senior friendly, is another term rarely talked about. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the hot topic and seems unstoppable and seniors are just expected to adapt to it.
Seniors might be at a disadvantage. Most of their training and experience comes from technology of the past. They may have been IT experts, but most are casual users, who don’t demand much and just want to continue as they always have.
They are loyal to their older program versions and wary of upgrades. They get frustrated and speak out when tasks they knew how to do now requires watching instructional videos to get it done.
Purchasing a new computer on the internet is a gamble and seniors don’t always know the answers to the questions. Is a 14” display big enough to spend hours on? Will I lose some of the page if I max out the resolution? There are times a professional is needed to come in and check with the client to get the best results on their displays
And seniors love their reminders. They put them on their computers and their phones as well. They want to be reminded of family birthdays and anniversaries as well as upcoming events. And it doesn’t stop there. Many seniors use devices for medication management and that takes it to a whole new level. Siri and Google are virtual voice assistants and should never be accepted as fool proof. As AI increases its presence in everyone’s lives, more human care and attention seem to be the things we should rely on even more.
Written by Lou Ma
