The YouGov study for Readly, an all-you-can-read subscription service, investigated how the pandemic has affected the lifestyle of seniors
Across all ages, digital habits have increased with 49 percent of Brits trying out more new digital services than usual to facilitate their lifestyle and 73 percent of Brits believing that their lifestyle will remain more digital after covid.
But it is amongst the senior age group that a significant digital shift has become apparent; 77 percent of the 60+ age demographic believe their lifestyle will remain more digital after the pandemic.
With statistics indicating that 3.6 million older people in the UK live alone, digital connectivity means more than ever before, says Readly. There is a shift in habits as more seniors adopt digital technology or try out new platforms.
The top digital apps that seniors have tried for the first time during lockdown include:
- Video call apps - 20%
- Shopping apps - 15%
- Food ordering apps - 14%
- Reading apps (magazines, newspapers, books) - 12%
- Social media apps - 8%
- Film and series apps - 6%
- Podcast apps - 3%
- Gaming apps - 2%
Chris Couchman Head of Content for Readly said, “The pandemic has brought with it curiosity and knowledge about how the digital world can bring us closer to each other, optimise our well-being and make everyday life easier. It is fantastic to see how the older generation is discovering apps to enrich their lifestyle such as reading apps like Readly, a source of everything from entertainment to news. We are also seeing the increase in readership across the gardening, home and DIY genres, which reflects our interests in more activities to do at home.”
“During the last 6 months there has also been a 30 percent increase in engagement with crosswords and sudoku on the platform, which we know is popular among the senior demographic.”
Looking ahead, the survey looked at the activities people are most looking forward to in a post covid society, with 39 percent of seniors aged 60+ most looking forward to travelling, 21 percent looking forward to going out to dinner with family and friends and 13 percent going to events such as museums, theatre and sporting events.
Chris Couchman adds, “Our travel genre on the Readly platform is still widely read worldwide as people look for inspiration for the next chapter and map out their travel goals.”
The survey was carried out by YouGov Panel during the period from 17-24 June 2021 with a sample of 2154 interviews over aged 18.
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