The age group once known for calling at the worst possible times has officially switched lanes. According to new data from AARP, most people over 50 years old own smartphones and actually prefer texting as their main way of communicating.
Smartphones aren’t just young people tech anymore
For a long time, smartphones felt like something younger generations got faster while the older ones struggled. That gap is fading, with older adults using smartphones the same way everyone else does these days.
They now text instead of call, check social apps, and pretty much stay connected in real time.
And it’s really not about “keeping up with the kids.” It does make sense that this group adopted texting. Texting is faster, less intrusive, and eliminates the ’30-minute goodbye’ trap of a standard phone call.
But there is still a gap
Liking technology does not necessarily translate to feeling confident using it. Among adults over 80, only 48% say they feel confident they have the skills needed to fully use their device.
So while adoption is high among seniors, comfort levels still vary, especially as smartphones keep evolving.
This explains the messages typed like mini essays and why you might still have your parents and grandparents ask you for help “fixing” something that requires only a few simple taps. Simple to you, but to them, it might be tech-support-level smartphone use.
Texting was never the default
If the older ones in your life would still rather put a call through than send a simple text, it might comfort you to know that phones did not even start with texting.
The first mobile phone call was made in 1973. By the time texting showed up in the 90s, it was a sort of novelty. So, it is not a default for these people, unlike millennials and Gen Z, who were practically born with a SIM card in hand..
But things have changed now. At this point, smartphones aren’t as mystical as they used to be. And if texting has become the default across age groups, then the idea that older adults are thousands of miles “behind” on tech is starting to become outdated.
Sources: The Daily Spin, BBC