Excerpt:
There are many challenges that come with age, but none perhaps as stark as loneliness. The pandemic brought home how isolating it can be to grow old alone.
For all the destruction COVID-19 wrought, one silver lining was widespread adoption of new technology to stay connected. This trend was profound among older adults. In a recent AARP survey, more than 80 percent of people over age 50 said they used technology in some form to stay connected. More than half of adults over 70 own a smart tablet, with seven in 10 reporting using it daily.
This busts the myth that seniors are inept at technology. They're not. Older adults may be slower adopters than millennials, yet many studies show they're both able and willing to learn how to use new digital technologies, especially when the tools offer the chance to feel close to family and friends. At a deeper level, it reflects our fundamental drive to be social at any age.