India’s digital divide is widening and older generations are paying the price

Understanding the Digital Divide in India

The India Ageing Report 2023 indicates that convincing elderly individuals to adopt digital platforms and providing necessary tools remains a significant hurdle.

Challenges Faced by the Elderly

Older generations often face greater barriers to engaging with digital platforms which hinders them from accessing essential services and engaging with social networks.

Challenge 1: Physical Limitations

Reduced vision, limited dexterity, and slower motor skills can make using touchscreens or small devices difficult.

Challenge 2: Cognitive Challenges

Cognitive decline or memory issues can make learning new processes and using unfamiliar interfaces difficult.

Why bridging the digital divide gap is key

Enhanced communication via social media, access to essential services like shopping, banking and telemedicine, and entertainment can be simplified for the older generation by bridging the digital divide gap.

Effective Strategies to Bridge the Digital Divide

Educational programmes at community centres and NGOs, tech curated specifically for the older population, instilling digital literacy among the elderly and help from family can be effective solutions.

Trends to tap after bridging digital divide gap

From wearable health tech to voice-activated devices and AR and VR, elders can streamline several daily and important tasks after becoming tech-savvy.