Have seniors become the new screenagers?

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These days, Sherry Bagnato’s phone almost never leaves her hands.

“The first thing I wake up in the morning is to check my phone for messages,” Bagnato said. of present Matt Galloway. “After breakfast, after taking the dog for a walk, I come back and am on my phone for the rest of the day.”

And before you jump to conclusions, Bagnato is neither a millennial nor a “screenager.” In fact, she’s a 67-year-old retired mother of two from Toronto, and her scrolling habits have flipped the script at home. Now, she admits, her adult children are telling her to turn off the devices.

“I’d be dressed up and ready to go somewhere, and I’d have to wait for her and she’d be doomscrolling half the time,” said her 33-year-old son, Matt Cira.

Sira’s disappointment is reflected in both rave online Other millennials — and recent data tracking smartphone use, show a surge among seniors.

In 2014, only 13 percent of adults age 65 and older owned a smartphone, According to Statistics Canada. Now, recent estimates According to the data agency, this figure is close to 55 percent. in America that number is even higher, with estimation From 70 to 80 percent.

And they’re not just buying them; Research shows that seniors are using smartphones more than ever before. According to , social media use among the over-65 demographic has also increased from 11 percent in 2010 to 45 percent in 2021. Pew Research CenterA Washington-based think-tank.

For some, including Cera, it signals a worrying change: Some parents and grandparents may be becoming increasingly dependent on their screens.

why the spike

Nicole Dallmer, an associate professor in the department of health, aging and society at McMaster University, says several factors could be accelerating.

She says baby boomers have been exposed to technology longer than previous generations.

“They’ve worked with it, they’ve played with it, so it’s a natural extension of the different technologies they’re using in their work and now in their everyday lives.”

She also notes that daily life is leading people to use screens and digital technology more — from banking to grocery shopping to filling out government forms.

Many seniors are using technology to aid healthy aging, she says: tracking steps, monitoring blood sugar or accessing health information.

And then, of course, there’s the connection: FaceTiming grandchildren, keeping up with friends on social media or joining online communities.

These are the things that drive Bagnato away, she says.

“I’m on social media,” she says. “I have a hiking club that I answer to… I take online painting courses and Google everything. I want to know everything, because I have the time.”

For Dr. Howard Chertko, a neurologist and senior scientist at the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education in Toronto, those reasons earn a tick mark in the positive column.

The downside of screen time

He says that for older adults who may be more isolated, screen time may be their only form of stimulation and engagement throughout the day.

“There are also online learning and creative digital engagement programs with puzzles and games,” Chertko said. “All of those things stimulate cognitive activity, so you can use screens to get a big boost in your cognitive stimulation.”

But it’s not just about playing Candy Crush or doing Sudoku — screen time can also help combat loneliness, which is common among older adults, especially those with mobility challenges, says Patrick Rau.

Rau, a researcher at the University of Washington who studies loneliness in seniors, says feeling lonely can have serious health consequences, from high blood pressure to increased risk of depression and even premature death.

So using screen time for connection can actually improve one’s health and longevity, he said.

negative side

Still, experts agree there is a tipping point.

For example, spending 10 hours a day on YouTube is too much; Chertko says people still need exercise and other healthy touchpoints during the day.

“If you’re replacing real conversation with online conversation or just passive searching on the Internet, it’s taking away social stimulation and cognitive stimulation,” he said.

And it can have a negative impact on sleep — something he says many seniors already struggle with.

Chertko says most screens emit blue light, which interferes with the amount of a sleep-regulating hormone called melatonin produced by your brain.

“The brain interprets this as saying it’s time to wake up; so if you look at a blue screen for more than half an hour at midnight, you’re interfering with your sleep.”

Dallmer says older adults may also be vulnerable to misinformation and so-called “grandparent scams” that target them. But he believes younger seniors tend to be more tech savvy, so their concerns may be misplaced.

“I’m curious to see (what happens) as there’s an incoming group of older adults who have perhaps spent more time online, have more nuanced, perhaps digital literacy skills.”

when there is a problem

Dallmer says there are several ways families can tell the difference between heavy screen use and addiction.

“I would look for signs of neglect of self-care, neglect of relationships… and if they’re perhaps not telling the whole truth about how much technology they’re using,” she said.

If concerns arise, Dalmar recommends having a conversation – No A confrontation.

“Even sharing your own struggles with technologies can be helpful,” he suggested to get the conversation going.

She also suggests helping family members find ways to align their online hobbies with in-person activity — for example, think about using an e-reader and then going to a book club.

As for Bagnato, she says she has no plans to unplug.

“I have stopped working and this is a stop gap for now,” he said. “It fills time until I find the thing that’s finally going to consume my energy.”