At some point, we will all get older and reach retirement age (referred to here as the 65+ generation). For many people, the enthusiasm to do more or travel more often increases - they now have the time to do so. We see people around us who commit to part-time work, e.g. as school bus drivers or retired couples who book a house for six months in Italy to fully enjoy the Italian flair. Yes, there is certainly some truth in the affectionate expression "racer" (with the emphasis on the n). The range of leisure activities and specially designed activities for the older clientele is constantly increasing. That's why the older generation is out and about more and has more plans.
But with age also comes problems, such as not always being up to date, remembering fewer things or needing more time to learn something. But in today's fast-moving world, where time is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity, some people may feel particularly uncomfortable with technology. And that brings us to the question of how digitalization is affecting people 65+.
What does the 65+ generation use the Internet for?
The fact is that the average weekly internet usage time doubled from 2011 to 2017 (25.5 hours).1 But what is used on the internet and which services are particularly popular with the older generation?
A uniform picture emerges from the investigation of various research studies. Information procurement (approx. 60%) and e-banking (approx. 50%) are considered to be the top uses of the Internet for the 65+ generation.1,2,3 In a survey of 592 people, the 50plus.ch platform also found that online shopping is popular. 82% of participants stated that they shop online and 36% of those surveyed are online shoppers with a credit card. No, you can't speak of fear of contact here.
The survey of people 65+ on their attitudes and perceptions of self-service technologies (digitalized services) conducted by the IKOA-FHS is also interesting. Among other things, they found that around 35% of those surveyed buy cinema tickets online or check in online and consider this service to be very simple. What is special is that very few people in the survey used the self-checkout tills in supermarkets or the self-check-in machines at the airport. The problem here could be that many people have not yet had any experience with such technologies, although most respondents rated the service as rather easy to use. This could show us that the older generation needs to be introduced to the service in order to convince them of its simplicity.
A study by Seifert and Schelling showed that people aged 65+ are definitely interested in technology (just under 40%). And in the IKOA-FHS survey, 64% of participants also found technology exciting and mentally stimulating.
Perceived advantages and disadvantages of the older clientele
In most studies, availability from home, round-the-clock and faster accessibility and location-independent availability are perceived as the greatest advantages of online technologies. The 65+ generation sees the reduction in jobs, the reduction in interpersonal contact and the disadvantage of non-users as a danger and disadvantage. 1,2,3
Generation 65+ as a heterogeneous group
The older you get, the more quirks and habits a person acquires. It is therefore obvious that it is impossible to group all people in the 65+ age group together. Differences can be seen in gender, for example: men use digital services more than women. However, the older the respondents were, the more their use decreased. 1 Seifert and Schelling also used a study by the World Bank's World Development Indicators to show that there are massive differences between countries. The conclusion of the IKOA-FHS can be underpinned by several studies that over 65s are not a homogeneous group.
Search for support
We found out a little earlier that the 65+ generation needs to have technology explained to them first so that they can slowly "get to grips" with it and become convinced. If problems arise, 34% turn to Google for help, with 23% asking their children or 13% asking their partner.1 However, the majority would like support in using digital technologies. 2
Conclusion and tips
The 65+ generation is interested in and uses digital technologies. If you are planning to implement an online appointment booking tool, briefly show your older clientele how it works. We are sure that they will also find this digital technology easy to use and will use it more often. Enable your customers to make an appointment outside your opening hours if the coffee meeting has run a little long and dinner already needs to be cooked. Help your customers with the technology that is new to them and take away their fear of making appointments online.
A statement by Stefan Nünlist, COO of Swisscom, seems to us to be a fitting conclusion. He says that the future is already here and we shouldn't be afraid of it, because invention has always been the driver of progress and change. It took 10,000 years for agricultural development, 200 years for industrial development, 25 years for digital development and the next wave is sure to come.1
We are excited...
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