Between 2015 and 2030, the number of people aged 60 and over will grow by about 56%, 901 million to 1.4 billion. In the United States alone, 59% of elderly people use the internet every day. With figures like these, it is important to make sure that you make sure it is easy to access your content.
While a lot of elderly people may be using the internet daily, that does not mean they know how to use it to its full capacity. The onus lands on you, the content creator, to create content that every person, no matter the age, can access or receive with ease.
Making Their Lives Easier
There are plenty of communication tools out there that can help bridge the gap between generations when it comes to internet use and making sure the older generation gets the content and information they need.
- Text-to-Speech – Most devices these days offer text to speech mp3 with natural voices If you do not know how to turn that function on, or if your device surprisingly does not have it, it is best to either call support or go online and find the best software. This will allow them to hear the content instead of having to strain their eyes to receive it. This will make their lives that much better while you have access to a huge viewing audience.
- Voice Control – this is another software that can help the elderly with the handling of devices. As people get older, their senses and nerves diminish. Having voice control will allow them to direct their devices using their voice. This way they can get to your content with ease.
- Touch Tablets – Having touch-only tablets makes it much easier for the older regeneration to manage to move around on a device. For the younger generation, typing does not seem like a tough act. But older people sometimes lose their motor skills and typing can become a strenuous act. If their devices are touch only, they will be able to access content and information more frequently.
- Wearables – This device can go hand in hand with the text-to-speech software already on their devices. Wearables allow people to place their devices anywhere, like a watch or wristband as an example. When paired with text-to-speech, you can set up the Bluetooth and they can hear the content as they move around.
In the end, the older generation is a large population that many content creators do not think of when they go about making their content. You need to remember them when you are making content.
Make sure your content is easily accessible, easy to view, and can be heard through text-to-speech software.
As the younger generation, it is also your responsibility to make sure that the elderly are up to date on all the devices.
Just because they are old, does not mean they do not need a device. Just because someone is old does not mean they are useless. Respect your elders!