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Tech

We Need New Laws To Help Old People Use Technology

A new report calls for a new generation of "Geek Squad-esque professionals" to solve the "innovation gap."
Image: Rafiqe Sarlie/Flickr

There's a paradox when it comes to aging and technology. On the one hand, there's a lot of room for innovative products to improve the quality of life of older people, and there's a lot of money to be made as the "grey market" keeps getting bigger. But it's not happening. Instead, experts say there's an "innovation gap"—high-tech tools and toys just aren't winding up in the hands of senior citizens.

"Few consumer-facing inventions have made it out of the laboratory and into the living rooms of older adults and family caregivers," wrote Joseph Coughlin, director of MIT's AgeLab, in a new report on the subject published in the latest issue of Public Policy & Aging Report.

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What gives? Coughlin and his colleagues at AgeLab argue that the real challenge isn't developing useful products for older consumers, it's getting people to adopt them. Elderly folks can be intimidated by new technology, confused about how to use it, find it too expensive, and so on. The report authors are calling for new policies to help clear those hurdles.

“Business, government, and nonprofits must collaborate to stimulate and speed the development of a next-generation technology-enabled aging services workforce,” Coughlin wrote.

Essentially, they're arguing that the missing piece in the puzzle here are people who are experts in both technology and aging that can help smooth the adoption process. Investors are keen on getting into the space, but want this sort of professional expert that can usher in a new product, make it scale, and make sure it's sustainable, the report states.

The report gives a few examples, like the much-buzzed Internet of Things and emerging smart-home, or the arrival of autonomous vehicles. They have a lot of potential to help elderly citizens be self-sufficient, active, and mobile. But who is going to make sure they're being optimized for the aging population, or used safely?

It calls for a "new generation of 'Geek Squad-esque' professionals," wrote Coughlin. "But there is no Consumer Reports, Underwriters Laboratory, Good Housekeeping, or CNET devoted to aging adults and the technologies that might benefit them."

MIT AgeLab launched in 1999 to tackle these very issues. Their website states that there's not just a need for new technologies, but better ways of designing products, delivering services, and implementing policy to serve the best interests of elderly.

It's been slow going. Most futuristic tech developments are still geared toward young people—things like virtual reality, video games, and gadgets. But increasingly, engineers are looking at aging like a "problem" that can be innovated away, according to the report.

Smart pills can remind you when to take your medication, sensors can detect falls and alert someone, cameras can encourage social interaction, wearables can monitor health, robots can act like personal assistants, and on and on. Just yesterday a PBS Newshour report called senior citizens a "multibillion-dollar-market that's been largely overlooked by Silicon Valley." But it went on to say that a new generation of entrepreneurs is wising up to this fact and tapping into this customer base.

So the good news is that interest is growing. But as the report points out, until consumers start using these new products, it's all just research and prototypes. It’s not actually disrupting anything.