In May 2017, the Pew Research Center released a study examining the technology habits of U.S. adults ages 65 and older. This report was based on the results of a telephone survey of 3,015 individuals. The major findings? In general, older adults are using technologies including the internet and smartphones at a much higher rate than in the past. For example, 67 percent of senior citizens surveyed reported that they use the internet, compared to just 12 percent in 2000. However, while technology use is generally on the rise among seniors, tech adoption is not evenly distributed. Younger seniors are significantly more likely to use newer technologies than older seniors: 59 percent of seniors between the ages of 65 and 69 own a smartphone, compared to just 17 percent of seniors over 80 years old. In addition, technology adoption is strongly correlated with income and education level: while 87 percent of seniors in households with incomes of $75,000 or higher have broadband internet service, the same is true of only 27 percent of seniors in households with incomes of $30,000 or less. Interested readers can download the full 27-page report for more information.
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