When Charlie Warzel, journalist at The Atlantic, decided to investigate retirees’ screen addiction, the testimonies poured in. “I constantly beg my mom to put her phone down. Every time I see her, she scrolls mindlessly. I swear his attention span is gone»confides a man, visibly distraught. Another adds: “When I visit my parents, two televisions are playing at full volume in different rooms of the house, while everyone scroll on your iPad or phone.” Some even go so far as to impose on their baby boomer parents an iPad treatment when they come to see them accompanied by their young children.
These everyday scenes may make you smile, but they are far from being anecdotal. The data confirms a marked increase in online time among older adults. In 2019, the Pew Research Center reported that people over 60 “now spend more than half of their daily free time, or four hours and sixteen minutes, in front of screens”mainly by watching videos. In France, 30% of seniors consult social networks daily. The other side of the coin: 40% of connected seniors admit to feeling “anxious or uncomfortable” when they are deprived of their devices.
Should we therefore speak of addiction? The answer is more nuanced. For Ipsit Vahia, chief of geriatric psychiatry at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts and director of the Technology and Aging Laboratory, older people do not form a homogenous group. “The older we get, the more different experiences we have and the more we develop varied habits and perspectives”he explains in the columns of The Atlantic.
The Covid-19 pandemic played an accelerating role. Deprived of physical contact, many seniors have adopted family Zoom meetings, online medical consultations or digital discussion groups. Some people have thus become more familiar with technologies. Not everything is to be thrown away in these new habits: research shows that online word games like Scrabble, educational videos or virtual exchanges with loved ones constitute beneficial stimuli.
“Among adolescents and young adults, intensive use of technologies is often associated with a decline in mental health and remains considered a predictive factor of isolation and even depression.underlines the doctor. Among older people, on the other hand, digital use seems to act as a shield against isolation and loneliness.»
This optimistic vision, however, is not unanimous in the medical field. In the United Kingdom, a geriatric nurse observes a compulsive practice of scrollthe negative effects of which become “more and more visible”. She points in particular to the impact of anti-immigration content, as well as videos conveying conspiracy theories or distrust of medicine. “Poor content gives people something to talk about when they may not have much to talk about.”tempers Ipsit Vahia, who sees a significant gap between active and passive consumption of online publications. In many cases, the telephone becomes above all a companion for lonely and sometimes isolated seniors.
So, if screens can prevent a loved one from falling into depression, allow them to stay connected to the world around them and bring them a little happiness – even if it means flirting with a form of addiction – perhaps it’s a good thing. Even if he spends the day watching CNews or AI-generated videos on Facebook? It’s up to you to decide.
