Researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) conducted the first empirical study in Russia on the digital habits of older adults. The focus of the work is on analyzing how elderly users interact with smartphones and which applications they choose.
The study involved 136 respondents aged 55–70 years. Scientists identified four of the most popular types of applications: banking services, messengers, social networks, and Gosuslugi portals. However, the key discovery was a direct relationship between the level of social activity and the number of programs used.
Researchers identified three groups of users:
- Low activity (housework, TV) — 2–3 applications (banking, calls).
- Medium activity (meetings, sports, clubs) — 9–10 applications.
- High activity (travel, volunteering, courses) — up to 12 services, including social networks and government platforms.
It is worth noting that participants with medium and high levels of socialization use smartphones almost equally intensively (2.7–2.8 points out of 3), which indicates a tendency in this age group to replace real socialization with its digital analogue.
Today, user experience studies largely consider the development of software products for older people from the perspective of age and rely on such mental and physiological parameters as impaired vision, impaired coordination and fine motor skills, and impaired cognitive sphere. Applications for older people based on their findings can be attributed to the same category of software products that are developed for users with disabilities. Our study refutes stereotypes: elderly users are not an age group with disabilities, but full-fledged participants in the digital space with specific behavioral patterns. The key barrier here is not the technical complexity of applications, but a passive consumer position, when a person does not want to master new functions, even with the necessary skills.
The methodology included two proven questionnaires: one assessed social activity, the other assessed the use of applications. Demographic factors (gender, education, employment) were also taken into account, which made it possible to create an accurate portrait of an elderly user.
The study refutes stereotypes about users of the older generation and classifies them as a group with special behavioral patterns. Its results can help developers create convenient and in-demand applications that take into account real usage scenarios, not just age.
Read more materials on the topic:
Survey: 64% of Russians have used biometrics at least once
Deep research with AI: a new function has appeared in the GigaChat neural network
