When Joyce's grandmother moved in with her family, there was one thing that came as a big surprise to everyone: grandma was addicted to her smart phone. She brought it to the table for meals, she carried it around the house with her, she spent hours on it even when there were other things she was supposed to be doing.
Joyce's family wasn't sure how to deal with it. When they raised the issue, the 79 year-old grandmother reacted defensively and denied she had a problem. "I need to hear the phone when someone calls me!" she told her family. But that seemed like an excuse since she didn't get many calls and those she received were never urgent.
Most of us don't think much about seniors being addicted to screens -- it's the younger generations who are supposed to have that problem. And they certainly seem to: According to the Pew Research Center, 44% of 18- to 49-year-olds report that they are online almost constantly.
But this rise in screen time coincides with significant growth in the adoption of Digital technology by older adults, too, according to Pew.
Seniors can be particularly vulnerable to the effects of digital technology. They are sometimes lonely and may be more isolated. The pandemic has made this much worse. Seniors may also have poor self-awareness when it comes to their lifestyle habits, and decreased cognitive abilities which can prevent them from placing appropriate boundaries around screen usage.
No matter the reasons, the bottom line is that seniors can get addicted to their screens, too. And when they do, it's not always easy to know whether or how to help. Family members may be left wondering whether they should encourage them to spend less time on screens, or to just let it go.
If you know a senior who seems addicted to his or her phone or any other digital device, here are a few things to consider as you discern whether to say something about it or not...
These are good practices for all of us, no matter what our age. If we build good habits when we're younger, we'll be a lot better off when we reach old age ourselves.
