Nearly all older Americans now live connected lives: 99 percent of US adults 50 and older own at least one connected device, and smartphone ownership among that group reached 90 percent in 2025, up from just 55 percent in 2016 (AARP, 2026 Technology Trends). Pew Research Center puts smartphone ownership among the 65-and-older group at 78 percent, the lowest of any age band but a figure that would have been unthinkable a decade ago. Adoption is no longer the story; depth of use is. Generative AI use among adults 50-plus nearly doubled to 30 percent in 2025, and the same group spent an estimated 94.5 billion dollars on technology that year. This analysis consolidates data from Pew Research Center, AARP, the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging, and 7 other primary sources.
TL;DR
- 99 percent of US adults 50 and older own at least one connected device, averaging seven devices per person (AARP, 2026 Technology Trends).
- Smartphone ownership among adults 50-plus hit 90 percent in 2025, up from 55 percent in 2016 (AARP, 2026).
- 78 percent of adults 65 and older own a smartphone, versus 97 percent of those under 50 (Pew Research Center, January 2026).
- Only 14 percent of adults 65-plus go online almost constantly, compared with 41 percent of all US adults (Pew Research Center, January 2026).
- Generative AI use among adults 50-plus reached 30 percent in 2025, up from 9 percent in 2023 (AARP, 2026).
- 55 percent of adults 50-plus have used AI they speak or type to, but 46 percent have little or no trust in it (U-M National Poll on Healthy Aging, 2025).
- 78 percent of adults 50-plus rely on technology to stay connected with family and friends (AARP, 2026).
- Smart-home tech ownership among adults 50-plus rose to 27 percent in 2025, up from 10 percent in 2019 (AARP, 2026).
- In 2024, people 60 and older filed 147,127 fraud complaints with losses of 4.885 billion dollars (FBI IC3, 2024 Elder Fraud Report).
- Loneliness affects up to 1 in 3 older adults worldwide and is linked to more than 871,000 deaths a year (WHO, 2025).
1. Device Ownership and Tech Spending
Ownership among older adults has effectively saturated, and spending is now the sharper signal of engagement. Adults 50 and older spent an estimated 94.5 billion dollars on technology in 2025, an average of 756 dollars per person, nearly double the 394-dollar pre-pandemic average from 2019. The 55-to-90-percent jump in smartphone ownership since 2016 means the on-ramp phase is essentially over for this cohort; purchases now skew toward upgrades and accessories rather than first devices. Full device figures are in the AARP 2026 Technology Trends report, with smartphone ownership by age tracked in the Pew Research Center mobile fact sheet.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Adults 50+ owning at least one connected device (avg 7 per person) | 99% | AARP, 2026 Technology Trends |
| Smartphone ownership, adults 50+ (55% in 2016) | 90% | AARP, 2026 |
| Smartphone ownership, adults 65+ | 78% | Pew Research Center, January 2026 |
| Adults 50+ who made a tech purchase in 2025 | 71% | AARP, 2026 |
| Total 2025 tech spending, adults 50+ | ~$94.5 billion (avg $756 vs $394 in 2019) | AARP, 2026 |
| Adults 50+ planning a tech purchase in 2026 | 41% | AARP, 2026 |
Context: smartphones and smartphone accessories were the most common 2025 purchases, each cited by 26 percent of buyers, and 62 percent of adults 50-plus own a tablet (AARP, 2024 breakdown). For the wider handset market this feeds into, see our smartphone market statistics.
2. Internet Use and the Age-Based Digital Divide
The gap between older and younger users is real but shrinking, and it is now less about access than about intensity of use. The internet-use gap between the oldest and youngest US adults has closed from 56 percentage points in 2000 to 24 points, even as older adults remain the least likely to be online almost constantly. Home broadband among the 65-plus group sits at 70 percent, so the divide is increasingly defined by frequency and confidence rather than a hard offline-online line. See the Pew Research Center analysis of internet use, smartphone ownership, and digital divides and the ITU Facts and Figures 2025.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Adults 65+ who go online almost constantly (vs 41% all adults) | 14% | Pew Research Center, January 2026 |
| Home broadband, adults 65+ | 70% | Pew Research Center, January 2026 |
| Home broadband, adults 50-64 | 79% | Pew Research Center, January 2026 |
| Smartphone ownership, adults under 50 (vs 78% of 65+) | 97% | Pew Research Center, January 2026 |
| Adults 65+ who were internet users in 2000 (67% by 2021) | 14% | Pew Research Center, 2022 |
| UK over-65s with no home internet (20% among 75+) | 13% | Ofcom, Adults’ Media Use 2025 |
| Daily online time, UK adults 65+ (vs 6h 20m for 18-24) | 3h 20m | Ofcom, Online Nation 2025 |
| Global population online in 2025 (6 billion people) | 74% | ITU, Facts and Figures 2025 |
Divergence: globally, 82 percent of people aged 15 to 24 use the internet versus 72 percent of everyone else, a 10-point youth premium (ITU, 2025). For the full picture of access gaps by geography, income, and age, see our digital divide statistics.
3. AI Adoption Among Older Adults
Older adults are trying AI faster than most observers expected, but they are doing it with open eyes. Generative AI use among adults 50-plus more than tripled in two years, from 9 percent in 2023 to 30 percent in 2025, yet 46 percent say they have little or no trust in AI-generated information. The pattern is curious-but-cautious: high willingness to experiment paired with strong demands for transparency. Voice-driven tools lead over text chatbots, which matters because speaking to a device removes the typing and menu-navigation friction that deters many first-time users. AARP tracks the generative-AI trend, while the detailed usage and trust figures come from the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging on AI.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Generative AI use, adults 50+ (9% in 2023, 18% in 2024) | 30% (2025) | AARP, 2026 Technology Trends |
| Adults 50+ who have ever used AI they speak or type to | 55% | U-M National Poll on Healthy Aging, 2025 |
| Adults 50+ who used a voice assistant in the past year | ~50% | U-M National Poll on Healthy Aging, 2025 |
| Adults 50+ who used an AI chatbot in the past year | 25% (1 in 4) | U-M National Poll on Healthy Aging, 2025 |
| Adults 50+ who used AI for health information | 14% | U-M National Poll on Healthy Aging, 2025 |
| AI users 50+ who used a branded platform (ChatGPT, Copilot) | 58% | AARP, 2026 |
| Adults 50+ with little or no trust in AI information | 46% | U-M National Poll on Healthy Aging, 2025 |
| Adults 50+ who want to know when information is AI-generated | 92% | U-M National Poll on Healthy Aging, 2025 |
Context: 81 percent of adults 50-plus said they want to learn more about the risks of AI, and only about half were confident they could tell whether AI content was incorrect (U-M National Poll on Healthy Aging, 2025). The survey drew 2,883 adults age 50 and older, fielded February 4 to 28, 2025.
4. Staying Connected: Social Media, Video Calls, and Loneliness
Connection is the single strongest motivator for older-adult tech use, and the stakes are health-level, not lifestyle-level. 78 percent of adults 50-plus rely on technology to stay in touch with family and friends, with the largest increase among those 70 and older. Social platforms and video calling are the workhorses here, but the research is candid about limits: tools maintain existing bonds far better than they create new ones. Loneliness itself carries measurable mortality risk. See the Pew Research Center 2025 social media report and the WHO 2025 report on social connection.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Adults 50+ who rely on tech to stay connected | 78% | AARP, 2026 Technology Trends |
| Facebook use, adults 65+ | 57% | Pew Research Center, 2025 |
| YouTube use, adults 65+ | 64% | Pew Research Center, 2025 |
| Instagram use, adults 50+ | 33% | Pew Research Center, 2025 |
| Older adults worldwide affected by loneliness | Up to 1 in 3 | WHO, 2025 |
| People worldwide affected by loneliness | 1 in 6 | WHO, 2025 |
| Deaths per year linked to loneliness (about 100 per hour) | 871,000+ | WHO, 2025 |
| US adults 50-80 who report feeling isolated | ~1 in 3 | U-M National Poll on Healthy Aging, 2023 |
Context: systematic reviews of technology and loneliness consistently find video calls outperform phone or text for easing loneliness because they restore visual contact, though technology rarely substitutes for in-person connection among those already struggling (JMIR Aging and related reviews, 2022-2025).
5. Smart Homes, Wearables, and Health Technology
Older adults are adopting the tech that supports independence and safety at home faster than almost any other category. Smart-home technology ownership among adults 50-plus rose to 27 percent in 2025 from just 10 percent in 2019, while home-safety devices like doorbell cameras jumped to 34 percent in a single year. This aligns with aging-in-place priorities: the growth is concentrated in devices that monitor, protect, and connect rather than in entertainment gadgets. Telehealth, meanwhile, settled into routine use after its pandemic surge. See the AARP 2026 Technology Trends report and the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging telehealth findings.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Smart-home tech ownership, adults 50+ (10% in 2019) | 27% (2025) | AARP, 2026 Technology Trends |
| Home-safety device use, adults 50+ (19% in 2024) | 34% (2025) | AARP, 2026 |
| Doorbell or driveway camera use, adults 50+ | 38% | AARP, 2026 |
| Wearable device ownership, adults 50+ (11% in 2016) | 36% | AARP, 2026 |
| Adults 50+ comfortable with video conferencing (53% in 2019) | 64% | U-M National Poll on Healthy Aging |
| Medicare fee-for-service users with a telehealth visit, 2024 | ~25% | CMS / Medicare data, 2024 |
| Adults 50+ who used AI-powered home security who found it beneficial | 96% | U-M National Poll on Healthy Aging, 2025 |
Context: one in four adults 50-plus had a telehealth visit in the first three months of the pandemic, up from 4 percent who had ever had a virtual visit in 2019 (U-M National Poll on Healthy Aging). For adjacent health-tech adoption, see our telehealth statistics and hearing aid statistics.
6. Barriers, Skills, and Confidence
Adoption keeps rising, but the obstacles are consistent and mostly about trust and confidence rather than capability. Data privacy is the top barrier to tech adoption for adults 50-plus, and a study of digital educators found fear was the single most common obstacle, cited in 25 of 34 interviews. These are motivational and emotional barriers, not just skill gaps, which is why voice-first and simplified interfaces move the needle more than tutorials alone. See the AARP 2026 Technology Trends report and the 2025 study on digital educators and older adults in Ireland.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Top barrier to tech adoption, adults 50+ | Data privacy | AARP, 2026 Technology Trends |
| Ease of use as a barrier, adults 50+ | 20% | AARP, 2026 |
| Cost as a barrier, adults 50+ | 16% | AARP, 2026 |
| Digital educators citing fear as the top obstacle | 25 of 34 interviews | Digital educators study, Ireland 2025 |
| UK over-65s who correctly identified scam emails | 92% | Ofcom, Adults’ Media Use 2025 |
| UK over-65s who correctly identified sponsored search links | 59% | Ofcom, Adults’ Media Use 2025 |
Context: these barriers are as much about trust and confidence as raw skill, and the caution older users show online often outperforms younger groups on scam recognition, making it a strength rather than only an obstacle (Ofcom, 2025). Speech-driven tools such as an AI voice generator can lower the typing and menu friction that stops many first-time older users.
7. Online Safety: Scams and Fraud Targeting Older Adults
The flip side of rising connectivity is exposure, and older adults are the most heavily targeted and highest-loss group. In 2024, people 60 and older filed 147,127 fraud complaints with the FBI, reporting losses of 4.885 billion dollars, up 43 percent from the prior year and averaging 83,000 dollars per victim. The FTC’s separate tally is lower on reported losses but far higher once unreported fraud is modeled, underscoring how much elder fraud never surfaces. See the FBI IC3 2024 Annual Report and the FTC report on protecting older consumers.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fraud complaints from adults 60+, 2024 (up 46% YoY) | 147,127 | FBI IC3, 2024 Elder Fraud Report |
| Reported losses, adults 60+, 2024 (up 43% YoY) | $4.885 billion | FBI IC3, 2024 |
| Average reported loss per older victim, 2024 | ~$83,000 | FBI IC3, 2024 |
| Adults 60+ who lost more than $100,000 each, 2024 | 7,500 | FBI IC3, 2024 |
| Fraud losses reported by adults 60+ to FTC, 2024 (vs $1.9B in 2023) | $2.4 billion | FTC, 2025 |
| FTC estimate of real losses to older adults, 2024 | Up to $81.5 billion | FTC, 2025 |
| Impersonation losses over $100,000, adults 60+ (from $55M in 2020) | $445 million (2024) | FTC, 2025 |
| Median reported fraud loss, victims 80+ | Over $1,600 | FTC, 2025 |
Divergence: the FBI IC3 total (4.885 billion dollars) and the FTC reported total (2.4 billion dollars) differ because they draw on separate reporting systems, and the FTC’s 81.5-billion-dollar figure accounts for the large share of fraud that goes unreported (FBI IC3, 2024; FTC, 2025).
Summary: Older Adults and Technology by the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Adults 50+ owning at least one connected device | 99% | AARP, 2026 |
| Smartphone ownership, adults 50+ (55% in 2016) | 90% | AARP, 2026 |
| Smartphone ownership, adults 65+ | 78% | Pew Research Center, January 2026 |
| Total 2025 tech spending, adults 50+ | ~$94.5 billion | AARP, 2026 |
| Adults 65+ online almost constantly (vs 41% all adults) | 14% | Pew Research Center, January 2026 |
| Home broadband, adults 65+ | 70% | Pew Research Center, January 2026 |
| Internet-use gap, oldest vs youngest adults (56 points in 2000) | 24 points | Pew Research Center, 2022 |
| UK over-65s with no home internet | 13% | Ofcom, 2025 |
| Global population online, 2025 | 74% (6 billion) | ITU, 2025 |
| Generative AI use, adults 50+ (9% in 2023) | 30% (2025) | AARP, 2026 |
| Adults 50+ who have used AI they speak or type to | 55% | U-M NPHA, 2025 |
| Adults 50+ with little or no trust in AI information | 46% | U-M NPHA, 2025 |
| Adults 50+ who rely on tech to stay connected | 78% | AARP, 2026 |
| YouTube use, adults 65+ | 64% | Pew Research Center, 2025 |
| Daily online time, UK adults 65+ | 3h 20m | Ofcom, 2025 |
| Impersonation losses over $100k, adults 60+ | $445 million (2024) | FTC, 2025 |
| Older adults worldwide affected by loneliness | Up to 1 in 3 | WHO, 2025 |
| Fraud complaints from adults 60+, 2024 | 147,127 | FBI IC3, 2024 |
| Reported fraud losses, adults 60+, 2024 | $4.885 billion | FBI IC3, 2024 |
| FTC estimate of real losses to older adults, 2024 | Up to $81.5 billion | FTC, 2025 |
Methodology and Sources
Data was gathered by aggregating figures from primary reports, government datasets, national surveys, and peer-reviewed research published mainly in 2024 to 2026, cross-referencing device-ownership and fraud estimates across multiple sources and flagging divergences and older figures.
- AARP, 2026 Technology Trends and the 50-Plus (survey of 3,838 US adults, fielded September to October 2025)
- Pew Research Center, Internet Use, Smartphone Ownership, and Digital Divides (January 2026), plus its mobile fact sheet and 2025 social media report
- University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging, AI edition (2,883 adults 50+, February 2025) and telehealth edition
- ITU, Facts and Figures 2025; Ofcom, Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes 2025 and Online Nation 2025
- WHO, Social Connection and Loneliness report (June 2025)
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2024 Annual Report and Elder Fraud Report
- US Federal Trade Commission, Protecting Older Consumers report (December 2025)
- CMS / Medicare telehealth utilization data (2024); digital educators and older adults study, Ireland (2025)
Data watch: AARP publishes its Technology Trends and the 50-Plus report annually each winter, so a 2027 edition is expected around December 2026; Pew Research Center refreshes its internet, mobile, and social media fact sheets on a rolling annual basis; the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging issues new topic briefs throughout the year; ITU releases Facts and Figures each November; the FBI IC3 and FTC publish elder-fraud tallies annually in the spring and winter respectively, so refreshed 2025 fraud totals are expected in the coming months.
Last updated: July 17, 2026.
We review and update this page quarterly as new data is published.