Nikkei cited a report by London-based Euromonitor International showing that elderly people in Asia are more willing to adopt digital technology in the face of the Covid-19 epidemic than their peers in the West. According to Euromonitor, in the “10 global consumption trends of 2022”, more and more elderly people in Asia are turning to social networks, online games and other internet services as they spend more time. stay at home due to the impact of the epidemic.
The Euromonitor report released earlier this week is based on a survey that found that around half of respondents aged 60 and older living in the Asia-Pacific region use Twitter several times a day, much more with 28% in Europe and 36% in North America. The same is true for other social media.
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| More and more elderly people in Asia are turning to social media, online games and internet services |
About 10% of elderly people surveyed in the region said they have VR glasses, which help them explore the “metaverse”, an online experience of the “virtual super universe” seen as the next stage of the internet. The rate for both North America and Europe is around 2%.
Pechara Voracharusrungsri, 70, who lives in Bangkok (Thailand), told Nikkei Asia that she uses Facebook or the instant messaging app LINE to shop online several times a month. Before the Covid-19 epidemic, she only used these tools to buy fruit a few times a year. Recently, she also often goes online to find new places to sell.
The factor behind the dramatic increase in the number of seniors using digital in Asia is the region’s large number of multigenerational families. United Nations statistics show that, while the majority of elderly people in Europe and North America live alone, or with only their spouse, many Asian households have two generations of adults. more live together. With the pandemic limiting the amount of time families spend together, many older people in Asia have more opportunities to learn how to use mobile apps, technology and other social media platforms from their children and grandchildren. their.
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“Social media platforms, especially those that allow content owners to create their own communities and post video content, such as YouTube, WeChat, and Instagram, are expected to gain popularity. in digital forerunners in Asia in the near future,” said Natasha Cazin, research advisor at Euromonitor.
Some digitally savvy seniors have even become online influencers, with the help of their children and grandchildren. A couple in their 80s, who run a laundromat in Taiwan, boast about 660,000 Instagram followers. Another influential elder is Mrs. Park Mak-rye. Her YouTube channel “Korea Grandma” has 1.35 million subscribers.
Asia’s elderly population will continue to grow rapidly. Euromonitor estimates that the number of people aged 65 and over in the Asia-Pacific region will nearly double between 2021-2040, reaching 767 million. Businesses are racing to capitalize on the wave of “digital seniors,” which is expected to bring about a dynamic change in the way older consumers shop and provide services.
In October 2021, Taobao, the online shopping platform owned and operated by Chinese technology group Alibaba, started offering the “Senior Mode” website format, with dimensions. larger text and add voice search. Hong Kong-based online shopping service HKTV is providing apps designed for elderly people who are not used to shopping on the internet.
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