Senior Citizens Usage Towards and Perception of Modern Technology in India

India is the second largest populated country and one the fast growing developing countries in the world. As we grow up and getting older, problems associated with aging is increasing rapidly – medical, biological, psychological, economic, and social etc. Population ageing and growing number of elderly population demands for healthcare and technology enabled-services. Factors associated with ageing population are essential for to ensure progress in development and sustainability. In response to the rapid population growth, the industry and market for older adults is growing with the introduction of new technology-enabled products and services. The advancement of technology and technology-enabled services are proliferating. However, their rate of adaption is very low. As the society is progressively moving towards digital, there is an increasing risk of excluding users with particular access needs. Among those at risk of digital exclusion are many older people and other differently-abled people for whom the technology is difficult to access. We foresee a great challenge in identifying factors affecting older people adopting new technologies and provide support to aging. To assess senior citizens usage towards and perception of modern technology in India, a survey was conducted with a random sample of 25 participants over 60 years of age using smart phone and living in Bengaluru city. The survey was carried out individually face to face followed by semi-structured interviews. The participants expressed that they are not scared and hesitant to use technology. They are also aware of the value of new technologies and show their willingness to adopt, if it improves their quality of life with security. The implications of the results are discussed in this paper.