As social media platforms mature, their user base is simultaneously aging, with older adults now representing the fastest-growing demographic of users. Despite persistent myths contrasting “digital natives” with “clueless seniors,” empirical evidence demonstrates that socioeconomic status, rather than age, is the primary driver of digital inequality. The study, design, and regulation of social media must undergo a paradigm shift to embrace older adults as active, vital participants. Market self-regulation has failed to address critical issues like privacy and interoperability and thus deliberate government intervention is needed to ensure user autonomy and data portability. To fulfill its potential, the social media ecosystem must “wise up,” abandoning ageist tropes and recognizing older adults not as passive victims, but as capable users, valuable support sources, and essential stakeholders in technology design.
Hargittai et al. (Wed,) studied this question.