Technology Use and Attitudes Among Mid-Life and Older Americans

Technology Use and
Attitudes among Mid-Life

and Older Americans
December 2017
G. Oscar Anderson, Senior Research Communications Advisor
AARP Research
https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00210.001
AARP RESEARCH | AARP.ORG/RESEARCH | © 2017 AARP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Methodology
• This study was fielded from November 16-27, 2017 using GfK’s KnowledgePanel, a
probability based web panel designed to be representative of the adult US population.
• Respondents needed to be age 50 or older to complete the survey.
• Completion rate was 59.9% and resulted in a total sample of 1,520.
• The data are weighted by age within gender, education, race/ethnicity, household
income, language preferences, and Census division to reflect US adults age 50 or
older.
Margin of error at the 95% confidence level
± 2.71%
for Total Adults 50+
N=1520
AARP RESEARCH | AARP.ORG/RESEARCH | © 2017 AARP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2

Executive Summary
• Mobile and traditional computing devices are the primary tech for Americans 50+.
• Over nine in ten own a computer or laptop, seven in ten adults 50+ own a smartphone,
and over four in ten own a tablet.
• Adults 70+ are more likely to have older technology such as desktops and feature phones
than those age 50-69.
• Technology such as wearables and home assistants have been adopted by only a very
small percentage of the 50+ market.
• Younger adults are more likely to own a wearable than those over 70.
• Traditional activities dominate computer use for adults over 50, but a sizeable
minority are using their device to manage medical care or learn online.
• Among those who own such devices, top activities include surfing the internet, making
purchases, getting news, and banking.
• Adults 70+ do fewer activities on their computers than those under 70, with a couple
exceptions such as gaming (over half play games on their computer) and email.
• Surfing the web is the top activity for tablet users and older adults who have both
are more likely to use their tablet for playing games and watching video than on a
computer.

Executive Summary
• Top smartphone activities for adults 50+ focus on staying connected and being on the go.
• Nearly nine in ten smartphone owners say they use their device to send IMs/texts or emails, and
over three quarters say they use it to get directions or traffic information. Other top activities
include purchasing apps, surfing the internet, getting news, and accessing social media.
• Among those who own all three devices, each device has different uses: computers are used for
more practical tasks, tablets for entertainment, and smartphones for social and on the go
activities.
• Across all devices, over seven in ten adults 50+ are on social media.
• Adults 50+ are equally likely to use social on their computers and mobile devices.
• Over half of smartphone owners use a social app weekly.
• Privacy and security is still an issue for most older adults, but many don’t take proactive steps
to protect themselves online.
• Just 18% of those 50+ are extremely/very confident that their data are kept private online.
• With the exception of financial institutions, most adults 50+ do not completely trust companies to
keep their data secure. They are most likely to trust banks and healthcare organizations and
least likely to trust the media, social media sites, and membership organizations.
• Nonetheless, many adults 50+ fail to take proactive steps to secure their data. A little over half
use a passcode on their phones or tablets, and only a third use two-factor authentication.

Executive Summary
• Nine in ten (91%) of those with devices say they use technology to stay in touch with friends
and family.
• Among those under 70, text messaging has overtaken email as the tool most used to stay
connected, though most use three channels (email, texts, and social media).
• Few older adults have used virtual reality and many are unfamiliar with augmented reality.
• Most older adults have heard of virtual reality devices but few have tried them. Adults age 50-
59 are the most likely to have tried or own a device, but adoption is still small.
• Over six in ten adults have never heard of augmented reality and very few have tried it.
Adults in their 50s are more likely to have heard of AR than those over 60.

Main Findings
AARP RESEARCH | AARP.ORG/RESEARCH | © 2016

2017 AARP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 6
Mobile and traditional computers are primary tech devices
for Americans 50+
Device Adoption among 50+ Younger adults are significantly more likely to own smartphones,
laptops and wearable devices (e.g., smart watches, fitness trackers,
etc.) than those 70+. Adults over 70 are more likely to own desktops
Smartphone 70%
and feature phones than their younger counterparts.
Laptop 62%
Desktop 61%
Device Adoption by Age
78%c 50-59 a 60-69 b 70+ c
73% c
Tablet 43% 66% c 66% a
63%
59%
55% 56% 58%
Regular phone 21% 46%
40%40%
E-Reader 34% ab
21%
23%
19% 20%20%
c
Wearables 13% 14% 15%14% c
8% 7% 8% 6%
Home assistant 7%
Smartphone Laptop Desktop Tablet Regular E-Reader Wearables Home
Q.Tech1 (Base: All respondents. N=1520). Which of the following phone assistant
items do you have? Letters represent a statistically significant difference between indicated age groups at the 95% confidence level.

Those already invested in the technology are more
likely to purchase it again in the future
Plan to Purchase a Plan to Purchase a Plan to Purchase a Wearable
Smartphone Tablet Device
Yes Yes
Yes 6%
12%
19%
No No No
81% 88% 94%
Percentage Who Plan to Purchase in the Next Year

50-59 60-69 70+
Owns device Does not own device
a b c
Smartphone 23%* 10% 24%c 20%c 11%
Tablet 14%* 10% 16%c 12%c 6%
Wearable 12%* 5% 8% 6% 5%
Those who have already purchased a device are more likely to say they will purchase another one in
the next year, particularly for smartphones. Likewise, adults under 70 are more likely to plan to
Q.Tech3A (Base: All respondents. N=1520). purchase a phone or tablet in the next year compared to their 70+ counterparts.
Do you plan to purchase a […] within the
next year? * or letter represent a statistically significant difference between indicated groups at the 95% confidence level.

Traditional activities dominate computer use for adults over 50, but a
sizeable minority are using their device to manage medical care or learn
online
Surfing the web, making purchases, getting news, and doing banking transactions dominate how older adults use their computers. A
third say they do online learning on their computer (34%) and manage or receive medical care (32%).
Activities Performed on Desktop/Laptop

(among those who own device)
Visit websites or surf the internet 81%

Make a purchase 74%
Get news and other info 69%
Perform banking or financial transactions 65%
Send or receive IMs or Emails 63%
Access a social networking site 58%
Comparative shop for discounts and deals 55%
Play a game 45%
Get directions or traffic info 45%
Watch videos or shows 45%
Get health and fitness info 42%
Take classes, webinars, or read/watch how-to tutorials 34%
Manage or receive medical care 32%
Post your own reviews, ratings, or comments online 31%
Download or purchase an app 17%
Track health or fitness via apps or website 8%
Use a voice activated assistant 7%
Q.Tech2 (Base: Those who own computer/laptop. N=1402). Please indicate whether you do each activity for each device you own.

Computer users in their 50s and 60s are more likely to use their devices for a
wider variety of activities, but adults 70+ are more likely to game.
Adults in their 50s and 60s are more likely to surf the internet, bank, comparison shop, and watch video on their computers than those
over 70. However, computer users 70+ are equally likely to look for news and send emails as their younger counterparts, and are more
likely to play games on the computer.
Activities Performed on Desktop/Laptop by Age (Top 10)

(Among those who own desktop/laptop computers)
50-59 a 60-69 b 70+ c
c
85%84% c
73% 77% c74%
70% 70%70%67% c
67% 67%
c
65%a 66% a
59% 62% 60% c
58% 58% 55%
54% 52% a 52% c
47% 46% 46%47%43% 48%c
40%
30%
Visit websites Make a Get news and Perform Send or Access a social Comparative Play a game Get directions Watch videos
or surf the purchase other info banking or receive IMs or networking shop for or traffic info or shows
internet financial Emails site discounts and
transactions deals
Letters represent a statistically significant difference between
Q.Tech2 (Base: Those who own computer/laptop. N=1402). Please indicate whether you do each activity for each device you own. indicated age groups at the 95% confidence level.

Adults in their 50s and 60s are more engaged in online learning activities on their
computers than those 70+.
Adults in their 50s and 60s are more likely to use their computers to engage in online learning activities and posting ratings and reviews
than those age 70+.
Activities Performed on Desktop/Laptop by Age (Bottom 7)

(Among those who own desktop/laptop computers)
50-59 a 60-69 b 70+ c
43%
41% 41%
38%c 37%c
34% 34% 35%c
32% c
29%
24% 24%
18% 19%
15%
9% 10% 8%
6% 6% 5%
Get health and Take classes, Manage or receive Post your own Download or Track health or Use a voice activated
fitness info webinars, or medical care reviews, ratings, or purchase an app fitness via apps or assistant
read/watch how-to comments online website
tutorials
Q.Tech2 (Base: Those who own computer/laptop. N=1402). Please indicate whether you do each activity for each device you own. indicated age groups at the 95% confidence level.

Surfing the web is the top activity for tablet users and about half are
likely to use their device for entertainment such as playing games and
watching video.
Over half of tablet owners use their tablets for surfing the web, getting news, downloading apps, messaging and email, and playing
games. Nearly half (48%) watch video on their tablets and another four in ten use it for shopping (42% make purchases; 40%
comparison shop).
Activities Performed on Tablet

Play a game 53%
Watch videos or shows 48%
Make a purchase 42%
Perform banking or financial transactions 29%
Manage or receive medical care 17%
Q.Tech2 (Base: Those who own tablet; n=647). Please indicate whether you do each activity for each device you own.

Adults under 70 do a larger variety of activities on their tablets than those 70+, but those
over 70 are about equally likely to play games, use social media and send email on their
devices.
Adults in their 50s and 60s are more likely to surf the internet, download apps, watch video, shop and make purchases on their tablets
than those over 70. Those in their 50s are also more likely than those 70+ to use their tablets to get news and other info.
Activities Performed on Tablet by Age (Top 10)

(Among those who own a tablet)
50-59 a 60-69 b 70+ c
78%c77% c
63% c 59%c 59% c

58% 58% 59% c
56% 54%57% 55%56%
50% 49% 50% 53% 47%
50% c
46%c 46% c 45% c44%c
39%
35%36%
28% 30%
26% 26%
Visit websites Get news and Download or Send or Play a game Access a social Watch videos Make a Comparative Get health
or surf the other info purchase an receive IMs or networking or shows purchase shop for and fitness
internet app Emails site discounts and info
deals
Q.Tech2 (Base: Those who own tablets. n=647). Please indicate whether you do each activity for each device you own. indicated age groups at the 95% confidence level.

Among less common activities, adults in their sixties are more likely to use their
tablets to manage medical care and post reviews than those in their 50s or 70s.
Tablet users age 60-69 are more likely than those 70+ to manage medical care and post reviews than those 70+. They are slightly (but not
significantly) more likely to learn online and use voice assistants than those 70+ as well. Those in their 50s are more likely to use their
tablets to perform online banking transactions than those 70+.
Activities Performed on Tablet by Age (Bottom 7)

(Among those who own a tablet)
50-59 a 60-69 b 70+ c
33% 34% 34% c

30%
26% 27% 26% c
23% 24%
22% 21% 22% c
17% 16% 17% 16%
16%
12%
9% 9%
5%
Get directions or Perform banking or Take classes, Post your own Use a voice activated Manage or receive Track health or
traffic info financial webinars, or reviews, ratings, or assistant medical care fitness via apps or
transactions read/watch how-to comments online website
tutorials
Q.Tech2 (Base: Those who own tablets. n=647). Please indicate whether you do each activity for each device you own. indicated age groups at the 95% confidence level.

Messaging, directions, and surfing the internet top list of activities
people do on their smartphones.
Nearly 90% of smartphone owners say they use their device to send IMs or emails, and over three quarters (77%) say they use it to get
directions or traffic information. Other top activities include purchasing apps, surfing the internet, getting news, and accessing social
media. Adults 50+ are much more likely to use voice assistants on their smartphone than they are on any other device.
Activities Performed on Smartphone


Play a game 42%
Make a purchase 35% Across all devices, 72% of adults 50+
Perform banking or financial transactions 35% are using social media. Three-
Watch videos or shows quarters (75%) of those 50-59 and
34%
60-69 are using social on at least one
device compared to 65% of those
Manage or receive medical care 28% 70+.
Q.Tech2 (Base: Those who own a smartphone, n=1061). Please indicate whether you do each activity for each device you own.

Adults age 50-59 are more likely to do most top activities on their smartphones
than those over 60.
Adults age 50-59 are more likely to use their smartphones to do a variety of activities than those who are over 60. Smartphone users age
60-69 have caught up on a number of activities such as sending IMs/emails, reading the news, and using a voice assistant.
Activities Performed on Smartphone by Age (Top 10)

(Among those who own a smartphone)
50-59 a 60-69 b 70+ c

92% c
89% c 85% bc
77% 78% c 78% bc
74% bc
69% c 68% c 69% bc
63% c 64% c
60% 60% c
53%
47% 48% c 48% c 50%bc
45% 43% 46% bc 45% bc
41%c
35% 36% c 33% c
30%
21% 19%
Send or Get directions Download or Visit websites Get news and Access a social Use a voice Play a game Comparative Make a
receive IMs or or traffic info purchase an or surf the other info networking activated shop for purchase
Emails app internet site assistant discounts and
deals
Q.Tech2 (Base: Those who own smartphones. n=1061). Please indicate whether you do each activity for each device you own. indicated age groups at the 95% confidence level.

Adults in their 50s are the ones most likely to be using their phones for banking
and watching video, while those 60-69 focus on health.
Adults age 50-59 are more likely to use their smartphones to do banking activities and watch video than those who are over 60.
However, smartphone users age 60-69 have taken the lead on using their phone to manage medical care (they are significantly more
likely to do so than those over 70: 33% vs. 21%). These users, as well as those 50-59, are also more likely than the 70+ to be using their
phones to track health and fitness data.
Activities Performed on Smartphone by Age (Bottom 7)

(Among those who own a smartphone)
50-59 a 60-69 b 70+ c
44% bc 44% bc
35%c
33% c 33% c 33% c
30% c 28% c
27%
24% c
23%c 21% c
20% 21%
16% 15% 15% 15% c
12%
10%
7%
Perform banking or Watch videos or Get health and Manage or receive Track health or Post your own Take classes,
financial shows fitness info medical care fitness via apps or reviews, ratings, or webinars, or
transactions website comments online read/watch how-to
tutorials
Q.Tech2 (Base: Those who own smartphones. n=1061). Please indicate whether you do each activity for each device you own. indicated age groups at the 95% confidence level.

Frequently used apps mirror the overall activities that adults 50+ say they do on
their phones and tablets.
Overall, the apps older adults use weekly mirror the general activities they say they do on their smartphones and tablets—checking email
(68%), browsing the internet (63%), getting weather (63%), and checking social media (58%). However, there are some surprises—57%
use their device to snap photos, and 29% are using retail apps like Starbucks and Amazon weekly.
Type of Apps Used at Least Weekly
(Among those who own a smartphone or tablet)
Email app (e.g., Apple Mail, Gmail, Outlook) 68%

Internet browser (e.g., Safari, Chrome) 63%
Weather (e.g.,Weatherbug, Accuweather) 63%
Social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) 58%
Photos (e.g., Photos, Camera) 57%
Maps and navigation (e.g., Waze, Google Maps) 45%
Games (e.g., Solitaire, Candy Crush, Words with Friends) 43%
Calendar (e.g., iCal, Outlook) 39%
Finance or banking (e.g., Mint, Bank of America, Venmo) 32%
News or magazines (e.g.,CNN, Apple News, Yahoo News) 31%
Retail/Shopping (Starbucks, Amazon, Wal-Mart, Ebay) 29%
Music (e.g., Spotify, Apple music) 18%
Sports (e.g., NFL, ESPN) 16%
Health tracking or fitness (e.g., Apple Health, MyFitnessPal) 15%
Video or movie streaming (e.g., Netflix, Hulu) 13%
Books (e.g., iBooks, Kindle) 13%
Reviews/Information (e.g., Yelp, TripAdvisor) 12%
Coupons (e.g., Groupon, Swagbucks) 9%
Travel (e.g., Expedia, airline apps) 7%
Transportation (e.g., Uber, Lyft, public transit apps) 6%
Productivity/business (e.g., MS Office) 5%
Podcasts (e.g., Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict) 3%
Other 2%
Dating (e.g., Tinder, Grindr) 1%
Q.Tech7 (Base: Those who own smartphones or tablets. n=1177). Which of the following apps do you use on your smartphone or tablet at least once a week?

Younger adults are more likely to use a variety of smartphone apps weekly than
older adults.
Overall, younger smartphone and tablet users are more likely to use a variety of apps weekly than those who are older, particularly those
under 60 versus those in their 70s. However, adults 70+ are equally likely to be using their phone weekly for weather, news, games, and
books (15% of 70+ use book apps vs. 11% of 50-59 and 13% of 60-69).
Type of Apps Used at Least Weekly by Age (Top 15)
(Among those who own a smartphone or tablet)
Email app (e.g., Apple Mail, Gmail, Outlook) 71% c
70% c
60%
Internet browser (e.g., Safari, Chrome) 71% bc
63% c
52%
Weather (e.g.,Weatherbug, Accuweather) 63%
64%
61%
Social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) 65% c
57%c
47%
Photos (e.g., Photos, Camera) 63% c
57% c
46%
Maps and navigation (e.g., Waze, Google Maps) 51% c
45% c
35%
Games (e.g., Solitaire, Candy Crush, Words with Friends) 43%
43% 50-59 a
44%
Calendar (e.g., iCal, Outlook) 42% c c
44% 60-69 b
28%
Finance or banking (e.g., Mint, Bank of America, Venmo) 37% bc
29% 70+ c
27%
News or magazines (e.g.,CNN, Apple News, Yahoo News) 32%
31%
31%
Retail/Shopping (Starbucks, Amazon, Wal-Mart, Ebay) 34% c
27%
23%
Music (e.g., Spotify, Apple music) 24% c
20% c
7%
Sports (e.g., NFL, ESPN) 18%
14%
14%
Health tracking or fitness (e.g., Apple Health, MyFitnessPal) 17% c
15%
10% Letters represent a statistically
Video or movie streaming (e.g., Netflix, Hulu) 20% bc significant difference between
11%
6% indicated age groups at the 95%
Q.Tech7 (Base: Those who own smartphones or tablets. n=1177). Which of the following apps do you use on your smartphone or tablet at least once a week? confidence level.

Younger users are more likely to do more with their devices than those 70+.
On average, adults 50+ use their computer and smartphone to do around 8 activities, while they use their tablets to do 7. Those under
70 are significantly more likely to do more activities on all devices than those 70+. Moreover, those 50-59 are more likely to do more on
their smartphones than those 60-69 and 70+, both in terms of general activities as well as apps used weekly.
Average Number of Activities Done on

Device Average Number of Apps Used Weekly on Smartphone
(among smartphone owners)
50-59 60-69 70+
50+
a b c 10.0 7.1 bc
6.5 6.5c 5.4
Computer 7.7 8.0c 7.9c 7.1
5.0
Tablet 6.5 7.1c 7.0c 5.2
0.0
Smartphone 7.6 8.7bc 7.7c 5.3
50+ 50-59 60-69 70+
Q.Tech2 (Base: Those who own X device). Please indicate whether you do each activity for each device you own.
Q.Tech7 (Base: Those who own smartphones or tablets. n=1177). Which of the following apps do you use on your smartphone or tablet at least once a week?

Although traditional computers still dominate many activities, older adults are
more likely to do navigation, voice assist, app downloads, and messaging/email
on their mobile devices.
Play a game
90%
Use a voice activated assistant Send or receive IMs, texts, or emails
80%
Track health or fitness via apps or website 70% Visit websites or surf the internet
60%
50%
Manage or receive medical care 40% Make a purchase
30%
20%
Take classes, webinars, or read/watch 10% Comparative shop for discounts and deals
how-to tutorials %
Post your own reviews, ratings, or

Watch videos or shows
comments online
Computer
Download or purchase an app Access a social networking site
Mobile
Get directions or traffic info Get health and fitness info
Perform banking or financial transactions Get news and other info
Adults 50+ who are mobile enabled are more likely to do most activities on their computers
than on their smartphones, but there are some things that are becoming mobile dominant:
sending email/IMs (89% on mobile vs. 61% on computer), getting traffic and directions (77%
on mobile vs. 43% on computer), downloading apps (71% on mobile vs. 20% on computer),
Q.Tech2a (Base: Those who own and using voice assistants (45% on mobile vs. 8% on computer).
smartphones and computers. n=985)

Among the most tech savvy users, each device has different uses: computers for more
practical tasks, tablets for entertainment, and smartphones for social and on the go
activities.
Play a game
100%
Use a voice activated assistant Send or receive IMs, texts or emails
90%
80%
Track health or fitness via apps or website Visit websites or surf the internet
70%
60%
50%
Manage or receive medical care Make a purchase
40%
30%
20%
Take classes, webinars, or read/watch
10% Comparative shop for discounts and deals
how-to tutorials %
Post your own reviews, ratings, or

Watch videos or shows
Computer comments online
Tablet Download or purchase an app Access a social networking site

Mobile
Get directions or traffic info Get health and fitness info
Perform banking or financial transactions Get news and other info
For adults who own all three devices, users favor different devices for different activities. Dominant computer activities
include shopping and purchasing, online learning, and banking. Dominant tablet activities include playing games and
watching video. Finally, dominant mobile activities include sending messages/emails, downloading apps, using voice
assistant and getting directions. Note, however, that these represent the most tech savvy of the 50+ who are more likely
to be younger, better educated, and have higher income than the general population.
Q.Tech2a (Base: Those who own smartphones, tablets and computers. n=498)

Under two in ten adults 50+ are confident in their privacy when using their
devices.
Overall, just 18% of adults 50+ are extremely or very confident in their online privacy. Four in ten (41%) are not very or not at all
confident in their privacy. Adults age 60-69 are significantly more likely to be extremely/very confident in their privacy than those 70 or
older.
Confidence That Wireless Devices are Private Confidence in Privacy by Age

& Will Not Be Seen by Others (extremely/very confident)
40%
4% 35%
Extremely
Confident 30%
14%
15% Very Confident 25%
21%
20% 18% 18%
Somewhat 15%
14%
27% Confident 10%
Not Very 5%
41% Confident
0%
Not At All
Confident 50+ 50-59 60-69 70+
Q.Tech4 (Base: Those who own at least one device, n=1355). How confident are you that the things you do online when you are using a wireless device such as a laptop, Smartphone, or iPad, are
private and will not be used or seen by others without your permission?

Trust in online institutions varies but few are completely trusted.
Older adults do not trust online institutions to keep their data secure. The most trusted type of business, financial institutions, still
only had 48% who gave it a top 2 box rating. The next highest rated institution, healthcare, is only completely trusted by 30%. Those
age 60-69 are significantly more trusting of many organizations than those younger or older than them. Media companies, social
media, and membership organizations are among the least trusted institutions.
Trust in Businesses to Keep Personal Data Secure Online

Top 2 Box Rating (5 point scale)
50+ 50-59 a 60-69b 70+ c
53% ac
48%
44% 45%
33% a
30%
29% 28%
26% a
22%
22% 22% 23% c
20% 20% 20% 20%
19% 21% c
15% 16% 16%
16%
12% 13% 14%
14%
11% c
11%
9%9% 8%7%10%9%
5%
Banks and Healthcare Email service The federal Telecom service Online retailers Membership orgs Social media Media
financial companies providers government providers or non-profits sites companies and
institutions websites
Q.Tech6 (Base all respondents; n=1520). How much do you trust the following businesses and institutions to keep your Letters represent a statistically significant difference between
personal data secure online? indicated age groups at the 95% confidence level.

Despite lack of trust in security, many adults 50+ fail to take proactive
measures to secure their data, particularly those 70 or older.
Nearly a quarter of adults say they take none of the listed security measures to protect their data, a percentage that jumps to a third
(32%) among those 70+. The most common security measures taken include setting passwords on smartphones (58%) and tablets
(59%) as well as changing passwords every few months (45%). Men are more likely than women to say they lock devices with
passcodes (62% vs. 54% for smartphones; 64% vs. 54% for tablets), change their passwords frequently (48% vs. 43%), and have set
up two-factor authentication (36% vs. 29%).
Percentage of Adults 50+ Who Have Taken Steps to Secure Their Data
50+ 50-59 a 60-69 b 70+ c
59%
Use a passcode to lock your tablet (among tablet owners) 60%
63% c
51%
58%
Use a passcode to lock your smartphone (among smartphone owners) 62% c
60% c
47%
Change passwords on important accounts such as email or banking every 45%
50% c
few months 47% c
37%
Enable two-factor authentication on accounts, which requires you to log in 33%
37% c
from new devices using an additional security code sent to your phone or… 37% c
21%
Subscribe to identity theft protection services such as LifeLock or Identity 19%
19%
Guard 21%
17%
6%
Use a password service such as LastPass, KeePass or Dashlane 5%
7%
5%
4%
Other 3%
4%
4%
23%
None of the above 19%
19% 32% ab
Letters represent a statistically significant
difference between indicated age groups
Q.Tech5 (Base all respondents; n=1520). Which of the following security measures have you taken to protect yourself online? at the 95% confidence level.

Nearly all adults 50+ use technology to stay connected to family and friends.
Nine in ten adults 50+ use technology to remain connected with their friends and family. There are no differences by age, but women
are significantly more likely to say they use technology to stay connected than men are (94% vs. 87%).
Do you use technology to stay

connected and in touch with
friends and family?
Percentage Who Stay Connected Via Technology
91% of Men Women

50-59
a
60-69
b
70+
c
adults 50+
say yes 87% 94%* 91% 92% 88%
* or letter represent a statistically significant difference between indicated groups at the 95% confidence
level.
Q.NewQ1 (Base: Those who own at least one device .

n=1519). Do you use technology like cell phones,
computers, and the Internet to stay connected and in-
touch with family and friends?

Texts and email are the most popular methods to stay in touch but many use
social and video regularly as well.
Among those under 70, text messaging has overtaken email in the tool most used to stay connected, though most use three channels
(email, texts, and social media). Video chat is less popular, but over three in ten adults under 70 and nearly a quarter of those 70+ use
this method at least once a month.
How often do you use the following to communicate with friends & family...
At least once a month or more
(among those who say they use tech to communicate)
50+ 50-59a 60-69 b 70+ c
94% bc
87% 87% 86% 89% 86% 89% c
73% 72% 75% c 74% c

65%
28% 31% c 31% c

23%
Email Text messaging Video chat (skype, ichat) Social networking
Women are more likely than men to say they use texting (89% vs. 83%) and social media
Q.NewQ2 (Base: Those who say they use tech to (76% vs. 67%) to stay connected.
stay connected. n=1378). How often do you use
each of the following to communicate with and
stay connected with family and friends?
Letters represent a statistically significant difference between indicated age groups at the 95% confidence level.

Few older adults have used virtual reality and many are unfamiliar with
augmented reality.
Most older adults have heard of virtual reality devices but few have tried them (64% have heard of but never tried a VR device).
Fewer adults 50+ are aware of augmented reality (62% say they are unaware) and very few have tried it (2% via apps and 1% via a
device). Adults age 50-59 are the most likely to have recently tried (5%) or own (4%) a VR device, and are also more likely to have
heard of AR than their older counterparts (43% vs. 31% among 60-69 and 26% among 70+).
Awareness and Use of Virtual Reality Awareness and Use of Augmented

Reality
I don't own a virtual reality I have used apps such as
I currently own a virtual reality device device but I have used one in I have used a device such as Google Pokémon Go or Facebook
(e.g., Oculus Rift, Google Cardboard), 2% the past 12 months, 3% Glass that used augmented reality, 1% Camera Effects that used
augmented reality, 2%
I don't own a
virtual reality
I have never device but I
heard of I have heard of
have used one augmented
virtual reality more than 12
devices until I have never reality
months ago, heard of technology but
now, 26% 4% augmented I have never
reality until tried it, 34%
now, 62%
I have heard of virtual reality
devices but I have never
used one, 64%
Q.TECH8 (Base all respondents; n=1520). Which of the following best describes your experience with virtual reality technology?
Q.TECH9. Have you ever used a device or an app that used augmented reality (technology that overlays virtual 3D objects over the real world or real world displays)?

About AARP
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans
50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 38 million members and offices in every
state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen
communities and advocate for what matters most to families with a focus on health security, financial
stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new
solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP
name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation
publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow
@AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.
For more information on AARP Research visit www.aarp.org/research or follow us at

@AARPResearch on social media.

Technology Use and Attitudes Among Mid-Life and Older Americans

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Technology Use and Attitudes Among Mid-Life and Older Americans

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Technology Use and

Attitudes among Mid-Life

Margin of error at the 95% confidence level

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AARP RESEARCH | AARP.ORG/RESEARCH | © 2016

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Percentage Who Plan to Purchase in the Next Year

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Activities Performed on Desktop/Laptop

Visit websites or surf the internet 81%

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Activities Performed on Desktop/Laptop by Age (Top 10)

50-59 a 60-69 b 70+ c

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Activities Performed on Desktop/Laptop by Age (Bottom 7)

50-59 a 60-69 b 70+ c

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Visit websites or surf the internet 71%

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Activities Performed on Tablet by Age (Top 10)

50-59 a 60-69 b 70+ c

63% c 59%c 59% c

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Activities Performed on Tablet by Age (Bottom 7)

50-59 a 60-69 b 70+ c

33% 34% 34% c

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Activities Performed on Smartphone

Send or receive IMs or Emails 88%

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Activities Performed on Smartphone by Age (Top 10)

50-59 a 60-69 b 70+ c

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Activities Performed on Smartphone by Age (Bottom 7)

50-59 a 60-69 b 70+ c

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Email app (e.g., Apple Mail, Gmail, Outlook) 68%

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Average Number of Activities Done on

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Post your own reviews, ratings, or

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Post your own reviews, ratings, or

Tablet Download or purchase an app Access a social networking site

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Confidence That Wireless Devices are Private Confidence in Privacy by Age

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Trust in Businesses to Keep Personal Data Secure Online

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Do you use technology to stay

Percentage Who Stay Connected Via Technology

91% of Men Women

Q.NewQ1 (Base: Those who own at least one device .

AARP RESEARCH | AARP.ORG/RESEARCH | © 2017 AARP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 26

73% 72% 75% c 74% c

28% 31% c 31% c

Email Text messaging Video chat (skype, ichat) Social networking

AARP RESEARCH | AARP.ORG/RESEARCH | © 2017 AARP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 27