Sanatan Prabhat > Post Type > News > International News > Senior Citizens Spend 50% Time in Watching TV, Smartphone, ‘Gaming Devices’

Senior Citizens Spend 50% Time in Watching TV, Smartphone, ‘Gaming Devices’

  • All seniors above 65 years have ‘Smartphones’

  • Digital devices are the cause of many physical problems of seniors

London / New York – In a ‘National Gaming Disorder Centre’ in Britain, a 72-year-old lady was admitted for treatment. She was addicted to playing games on her cell phone. So far, 67 old people have been treated at this centre. Earlier, only young children used to be brought at this centre for treatment to get rid of their ‘screen’ addiction. Now, old people are also going there for treatment. The problems with old people are more severe than with youngsters.

1. As per the report of ‘Global Web Index’, old people are also ‘screen’ addicted (addiction of cell phone, computer or similar devices). They are spending their 50% time on devices like TV, ‘Smartphones’, Tabs and gaming devices.

2. Dr Ipsit Vahia, Chief of ‘Tech and Aging Lab’ of ‘McLean Hospital’ affiliated with Harvard Medical School informed that old people are living in the world of cell phones like the youngsters. This change is not limited to entertainment but it is affecting their sleep, physical movements and mental health.

3. Dr Vahia says that ‘screen’-time is the root cause of problems like insomnia, fear of online cheating, etc amongst senior citizens. Some people get more worried by reading negative news. Many times, problems related to ‘screen’-time are latent amongst seniors because they do not complain about their addiction to cell phones.

4. ‘Gaming’ has become a means of passing time amongst seniors. The songs and videos rekindle their old memories. Dr Vahia has stated further that compared to the youngsters, seniors have better social contacts; therefore, ‘smart phones’ do not hamper their relations but they strengthen their relations. With the help of ‘Virtual Reality’ technique, Dr Wahia showed an 85-year-old woman, suffering from depression, her house where she spent her childhood and her school. It refreshed her old memories and removed her tension of many years. It means such a technique is useful for even helping people.

Use of digital gadgets by old people increased by 60% in last decade

The use of digital gadgets has rapidly increased amongst the old people in the last decade. Ten years ago, only 20% of people above 65 years old had smartphones. Now, the number has increased to 80%. As per the study undertaken by ‘GWI’, senior citizens above 65 years of age, are using gadgets like ‘tablet’, ‘smartphones’, ‘E-reader’ and computer etc. more than youth below 25% years of age. The technical companies are also making products considering the changing trend. ‘Smart-watches’ i.e. wrist watches with the latest technology have facilities like ECG and phone numbers required to be used in case of emergency. As a result, 17% of the old population uses smart-watches.

Three hours use daily

After retirement, the old people have all the time in the world. Earlier, they used to spend time watching TV or doing ‘puja’ etc. Now, there is an increase in free time for which smart phones, tablets, computers, etc. are used and the average time spent by a senior citizen above 65 years of age is 3 hours ‘online’.  This time is half compared to the time used by the youth between 18-24 years of age, but considering the time on smart phones and TV etc used together, the total screen-time becomes much more than screen time used by youngsters. In the past ten years, time used by people in the age group of 50-60 years, on social media, media, gaming and audio streaming (listening to information) etc., has increased.

Increase in perils too

According to research conducted in South Korea, fifteen percent of people in  the age group of 60-69 years are addicted to the use of smart phones. Many people try to reduce the use of cell phones but they fail in their efforts. In research conducted in Japan, it was found that increase in screen time has led to reduction in physical movements. People above 60 years in China have problems like disturbed sleep due to ‘screen time’. The problems with ‘screen time’ are different in old people as compared to the problems in youngsters. The gadgets used by old people are mostly used for work related to bank accounts and criminals can now cheat old people through the same.

Nobody available to keep an eye on ‘screen’-time of old people

Schools and parents keep an eye on the ‘screen’-time of youngsters but there is no one to keep a watch on the old people. They themselves take decisions, though they often need assistance which they do not realise. Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones running the ‘National Centre for Gaming Disorders’ says, seniors do not have anyone or even if they have someone, they don’t check what they are doing on the computer.

Benefits of digital devices to some people

Religious service, online yoga-classes, book-club (group of people reading books) are useful for seniors. It is useful for those, who are unable to leave their homes. It is also useful to them to keep in touch with their own people.

Editorial Perspectives

  • It is an example of more harm caused to human beings by technology than benefits. 
  • Earlier, senior citizens used to adopt ‘Vanaprasthashram’ and chant God’s name but now, instead of following that tradition, they are spending time on unnecessary things. The ‘Sanskars’ inculcated in their minds do not get destroyed and they get caught in the cycle of birth and death. It is, therefore, necessary to teach spiritual practice to everyone at a young age.   

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