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By Chris Brown

Staying connected

Poll: Use of technology increased among older Canadians this year

Sep 29, 2020 | 11:23 AM

A new poll suggests older Canadians embraced technology during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The poll for AGE-WELL and conducted by Environics Research shows 65 per cent of Canadians aged 65 and older now own a smartphone, compared to 58 per cent in 2019, and 83 per cent of them use it daily.

Among the findings of the poll conducted in July, about 23 per cent of seniors now use video-calling to connect with friends and family. That’s about twice as many who used video-calling in 2019. Sixty per cent said the increase was due to the pandemic.

Use of social media apps like YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook among seniors is up to 68 per cent, from 63 per cent last year.

About 20 per cent have turned to online shopping for essential items like groceries and health needs, with 60 per cent of them saying it was due to the pandemic.

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“With these findings, we can set aside any notion that older adults are technophobic. Most are unfazed by technology and they are using a lot of it during these challenging times,” says Dr. Andrew Sixsmith, scientific co-director of AGE-WELL, Canada’s Technology and Aging Network. “We were already seeing older adults using more technology, but COVID-19 is clearly a catalyst that is taking tech use to a new level.”

More than 66 per cent of Canadians over 50 agree that technological advancements can help to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on daily life.

The poll was conducted July 16-27 with over 2,000 Canadians 50 years of age and older. AGE-WELL commissioned a similar survey in July 2019 of Canadians aged 50-64 and 65+.

Other findings

• 88% of Canadians aged 65+ use the Internet daily;
• 30% of those 65+ are streaming; over 4 in 10 (45%) of them report increased online streaming due to COVID-19;
• 52% of Canadians aged 50+ had a telehealth appointment in the past 3 months, and 79% of those who had one were satisfied with it. Experience with video appointments is still limited (7%);
• Over a quarter (29%) of Canadians 65+ use social media for “health, wellness and/or independence” (of whom 42% report utilizing it more due to COVID-19);
• Among those 65+, 68% use Facebook (up from 63% in 2019), 40% use YouTube (up from 37%), 19% are on Instagram (up from 15%), 18% use Twitter (up from 16%), and 16% use WhatsApp (up from 11%);
• 17% of Canadians 65+ use video calls on a desktop or laptop; 56% of whom report increased use due to COVID-19;
• 13% of Canadians 65+ now use exercise or activity apps or trackers; one in five (19%) of those have increased their use due to COVID-19;
• 13% of those 65+ engage in online activities such as book clubs and games; 50% of whom have ramped up these activities due to COVID-19;
• 11% of Canadians aged 65+ use voice-assisted tech, e.g., Google Home; 18% of whom are using this tech more due to COVID-19;
• 7% of those 65+ use food delivery apps; 45% of whom have increased their use of these apps due to COVID-19.

The poll also found about half of respondents aged 50 and over are now more concerned about health and about losing loved ones. Forty-six per cent are significantly or somewhat more concerned about moving to a nursing home, and 43 per cent feel that way about moving to a retirement home.

Current Attitudes

• 48% of Canadians over the age of 50 are optimistic about aging (compared to 56% in 2019);
• 66% of Canadians aged 50+ have felt isolated at least some of the time during COVID-19;
• Half of respondents feel that technology has had a positive impact on their lives during COVID-19 (45% say neither positive nor negative);
• Technology that “manages independence” is most popular, with over half of users of techs/services such as wearable digital devices, online shopping for essential items, exercise/activity trackers and webinars/online classes reporting a positive impact on their health and wellness.