Ryan Rayer- CMC and the Elderly

               In the final weeks of the semester, we have continued to cover several different interesting topics in CAS 283. Among these topics, one that struck me as most interesting was the lecture on CMC and seniors. More specifically within the lecture, the topics of ageism and technology trends among seniors.

               Ageism can be defined simply as treating somebody differently, or thinking of somebody differently solely based upon their age. To examine whether or not ageism existed online and to what extent, a researcher made an elderly woman avatar on the website second life and examined how other avatars interacted with her. For the most part, people stayed away from the avatar. If another avatar did approach the elderly avatar, they tended to speak very slowly and simply. Overall, the researcher noticed a lot of unnecessary over accommodation. While hearing of this study in lecture, I began to think of my experience in food service and recognize the truth behind the actions of the other avatars in second life. I worked at a small deli in my hometown for about 8 years and I am currently a server at Outback Steakhouse. At the deli, if we were to see an elderly person, it would be extremely common for many of my co-workers and I to try and avoid that customer at all costs. Typically, when we did have to help that customer, we would attempt to not act any differently. In some cases everything was fine. However, in some instances we would definitely have to slow down our statements and be more accommodating in order to allow for things to go smoothly. The same type of instances occur in the restaurant setting. When an elderly couple is sat at my table, I get a little bit angry because I know they tend to be more difficult as customers. They order slowly, often complain about minor things, and often do not tip more than 10%. Of course I am grossly generalizing the elderly population, but these are the stereotypes that most people have against old people in my profession. For this reason, it does not surprise me that people acted the way they did in second life.

               The technology trends discussed in class explained what percent of the elderly population owned certain pieces of technology and how many of them used the internet. In 2012, 53% of people over 65 use the internet daily. Among these individuals, 70% of them use the internet daily. 69% own a cell phone, 48% have a desktop computer, 32% own a laptop, 8% own a tablet, and 11% have an e-reader. My experience concerning these trends deals with my Grandmother. Grandmom is 75 years old and is very active. She has always been a little bit behind with technology but always catches up about a year or two after a piece of technology becomes commonplace. She got a laptop in 2010 to replace her desktop computer and received a kindle as a gift that Christmas. For this past mother’s day, the family gave her an iPad. Previously, she wanted nothing to do with this technology. However, she has become so attached to it that she takes it everywhere she goes, uses it as a camera and even texts all 10 of her grandchildren in lieu of calling. She has not touched her laptop in months, but still emails constantly and users all of her favorite websites. In fact, most of her friends have now gotten iPads because of how user friendly they are. What I am trying to say is that I believe that these numbers and percentages presented in lab are going to change drastically. I believe desktops are soon going to become obsolete for even seniors, and tablets are going to become very popular to the elderly. In an article from ageinplacetech.com, it is revealed that AARP is coming out with a tablet called the “Realpad”. The realpad is designed for people 50 and older who are apprehensive about technology. The realpad has an extremely user-friendly interface, they have 24/7 Q&A service, it is affordable, and is equipped with over 20 tutorial videos.

               Personally, I get along with the elderly. I am very close with my grandmom, and I have very good connections with the elderly customers I come in contact with. While I get along with the elderly, I do understand why some people feel the way they do about them. While we can agree there is a general distaste for the elderly in certain settings, they are not inherently evil. As a CAS 283 student, I believe we should all be happy that companies like AARP are trying to make the elderly better with technology.