Does Technology Have to Be Tailored for Older Users?

Some people think technology has to be tailored for older users. Others might think the issue is overblown, since many surveys now show that older users want the same features that younger users enjoy, even if usage rates might be lower.

The argument for different approaches usually is based on technology reluctance or physical issues. It often is assumed that devices optimized for older users need to feature more prominent buttons with bigger letters and numbers, for example, with stripped-down functionality. There are some cases where that might be the case.

But there is a growing body of evidence that, in fact, users in every age demographic are starting to appreciate new technology, and do use it. Not everybody, in every age demographic, is likely to be as enamored of some innovations as others are. But there are few applications you can think of that "only" younger users appreciate. Over time, in fact, application and technology adoption trends tend to normalize across the entire age range, or across the vast portion of it.

That isn't to say there are not differences in intensity of use; obviously there are such differences. But usage across age ranges tends to be a matter of degree, not a matter of adoption.

Does Technology Have to Be Tailored for Older Users?