While they may not quite rival their younger counterparts, adults ages 50 and older in the US display high rates of consumer technology ownership, according to a report [pdf] from the AARP. Some 86% own a smartphone, compared to 91% of 18-49-year-olds, while 7 in 10 own a smart TV, versus 76% of the younger bracket.
Tablet ownership is generally on par among the 50+ (59%) and 18-49 (60%) brackets, though there’s a wider gap among more emerging technologies such as wearables (28% and 41%, respectively), home assistants (31% and 38%), and smart home tech (24% and 27%).
The pandemic brought a surge in ownership of technology among 50+ consumers, which has since plateaued. Of the 6 technologies listed above, only 1 grew significantly in adoption in 2022 over 2021, with that being smart TVs (70% vs. 67%). Although smartphone and smart home tech ownership inched up, tablet ownership remained flat, and ownership of home assistants and wearables dipped.
Nonetheless, the survey data indicates that 50+ consumers are highly engaged with their devices, with the vast majority using them on a daily basis. Additionally, smartphone owners are increasingly using them for a range of activities, from social media to purchases and financial transactions.
A reliance on technology to remain connected is also drawing older consumers to platforms and devices. Some 78% strongly or somewhat agree that they rely on technology to stay connected and in touch with friends and family, a figure that remains relatively constant across 50+ age bands. Two-thirds use text daily to stay connected, while more than 4 in 10 use email (45%) and social media (43%) with that frequency.
The report notes the 50+ consumer market opportunity. With consumer technology sales expected to dip this year, it may be wise for the industry to pay attention to a demographic that still controls the majority of household wealth in the US. According to the study, roughly 3 in 10 adults ages 50+ bought a smartphone (31%) between September 2021 and September 2022, and about the same number (29%) purchased smartphone accessories. In fact, more than 7 in 10 (71%) made a tech purchase during that timeframe. Their average spend of $912 was more than double their pre-pandemic average.
By 2030, the 50+ consumer is expected to spend $120.2 billion on tech.
For more, read the study here [pdf].
About the Data: The 2022 results are based on an online survey fielded from September 23-October 6, 2022 among 2,095 US adults ages 50 and older and 884 adults ages 18-49.
