In the late 90s, when the dot com bubble burst, every household felt the need to acquire a desktop computer and equip it with a server. America On-Line (AOL) became a byword. And Norton antivirus as well. Thus, started the evolution of modern technology.
The 21st century is seeing a fast evolution in smartphone and computer technology. A common case scenario: you’ve just acquired the latest model of the iPhone or Android or laptop and two months later, it’s considered an old model because a new model has just rolled in. Servers like Bell and Rogers compete for your signature on WIFI service. Maddening.
Where does all this leave the junior and senior elderlies? Good question. From 1976 to 2000, Canada’s retirement age went from 65 to 61.5 and this stayed until 2011 when it reached 62.3. By the time of the dot com bubble, this retirement age was inching its way into a higher number and reaching its old number from the seventies which is 65. Sixty was never a favoured number to retire, 70 too old. Sixty-five is a comfortable age, one that gives the senior more time to enjoy a cruise, spend winters in Florida, and do whatever evaded him/her when tasks such as putting food on the table and sending kids to school were a priority. Baby boomers are living longer now, thanks to factors like physical activity, good nutrition, and taking care of oneself in outdoor activities like walking. In a way, the saying 40 is the new 60 is apt for seniors. Some look at this as a plus. A few others, a minus. Nonetheless, there’s one aspect of ageing that seniors had little or no preparation for – an evolving technology that would take over their lives and everyone’s around them.
Initial response to technology had seniors encountering challenges in learning computer skills, among which were difficulty in focusing on steps to achieve what you want the computer to do for you, anxiety on computer use most likely caused by lack of knowledge on technology, fear of Internet safety, and worse, fear of the unknown. In Toronto, public libraries started giving lessons on computer training open to everyone, even those without a library card. Seniors living with young people have had the advantage of being guided in computer skills.
In the span of 2-1/2 decades, there has been progress on seniors orientation to the Internet using iPad, iPhone and androids. Seniors have learned to navigate their way into the Internet, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to connect to friends and loved ones. In the September 29, 2020 website of news wire.ca, 88 % of Canadians aged 65 and over surf the net daily with 30% of this number streaming. Likewise, in the September 29, 2020 website of 150.statcan.gc.ca, seniors 65 and over numbered a good 6,835,866 as of July 1, 2020. Of this number, around 39% get by with a landline phone, 13% have a smartphone, per www.iphoneincanada.ca. Overall, I think Canadian seniors have adapted to the rapid evolution of technology in the 21st century. But one thing I observe with my co-seniors is that they, like me, don’t spend that much time on their gadgets. They have managed to distribute their waking hours to other things like gardening, reading, writing their memoirs, cooking, but or on some days just lounging around their dwellings. They, after all, deserve this after giving their productive years to the betterment of the True North.
