Technology and Aging: An Evolving Partnership

Abstract

Research at the intersection of technology and aging has grown dramatically over the past few years. Two trends are responsible for this growth: first, the unsustainable cost of providing care for older people with disabilities, and second, the rapid pace of technological advances in health care. Baltes (1997), in his seminal article, argued for the “fundamental incompleteness of the biological and cultural architecture of the life span” and the need for cultural/technological evolution to support successful aging in the “fourth age” of life. The 21 articles in this special issue of The Gerontologist highlight state-of-the-art conceptual and empirical work regarding the relationship between aging and technology. Each article identifies gaps in the knowledge base and suggests strategies for moving forward. Computers are an integral part of everyday life. Nearly 75% of U.S. households include a desktop or laptop, 77% of U.S. adults own a handheld device such as a smartphone, and 51% of adults have a computer tablet (Ryan & Lewis, 2015). Despite increases in technology use among older people, many lag behind. In 2015, 65% of people aged 65 and older owned a computer, 42% owned a smartphone, and 32% owned a tablet. One-third of adults aged 65 and older have never used the Internet (Andersen & Perrin, 2017).

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