{"id":80510,"date":"2026-06-10T00:30:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T04:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=80510"},"modified":"2026-06-12T21:47:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T01:47:19","slug":"technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Technostress\u2019: why many older people feel shut out by the digital world"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

From personal health portals to AI assistants that draft emails, the digital age has simplified endless everyday tasks.<\/p>\n

But for many older New Zealanders, the rapid march of technology has\u00a0helped build a wall<\/a>\u00a0rather than open doors. Navigating online forms, changing apps, disappearing face-to-face services and the constant threat of scams can be daunting.<\/p>\n

There is a term for this unease:\u00a0technostress<\/a>. Once used to describe the anxiety and frustration felt by workers, it has\u00a0more recently been applied<\/a>\u00a0to older populations struggling in our digital-by-default world.<\/p>\n

While older people\u2019s overall digital engagement\u00a0has grown over the years<\/a>, about half of over 50s feel they are being left behind by modern technology.<\/p>\n

Amid\u00a0a planned public sector shake-up<\/a>\u00a0that would further digitise services,\u00a0more than 40%<\/a>\u00a0of people older than 60 face barriers for accessing online government information.<\/p>\n

More than ever,\u00a0digital inclusion<\/a>\u00a0has become a necessity for older people to access essential services and maintain social connections. Without it, there are serious implications for their psychological, social, cognitive, physical and financial wellbeing.<\/p>\n

Our\u00a0newly published research<\/a>, based on interviews with 23 people aged over 65, reveals a complex relationship with technology: one that can support independence, but also create new sources of stress and exclusion.<\/p>\n

A double-edged sword<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The experiences of those we interviewed varied widely. Some used technology very little \u2013 perhaps just for texts or phone calls \u2013 while others relied upon it heavily for daily chores and work. One study participant spoke enthusiastically about using an AI assistant to support her creative writing.<\/p>\n

But regardless of how tech-savvy they were, all felt that keeping up with digital change was a never-ending but necessary challenge. This was especially apparent for those who used tech during their working years but found fewer resources available to upskill in retirement.<\/p>\n

Another common theme was feeling targeted by scammers due to their age. For people living on a single income or pension, the financial risk of\u00a0falling victim to a scam<\/a>\u00a0could be devastating and put them off going online.<\/p>\n

Broadly, we found technology to be a double-edged sword for older people. For those who felt digitally included, it helped strengthen relationships through sharing photos and videos with family overseas and provided useful access to health information.<\/p>\n

For those who felt shut out, technology became a source of distress, frustration and feelings of incompetence. They described struggling with online pension applications or having to relearn familiar software after unexpected updates completely changed the interface.<\/p>\n

Some felt the accessibility features built into everyday digital devices were inadequate for their physical needs, causing them to abandon tasks because of eye strain or frustration.<\/p>\n

Others felt digital technologies were not culturally responsive, reflecting a predominantly Western worldview. Common errors, such as the mispronunciation of te reo M\u0101ori names, could deepen feelings of exclusion and cultural invalidation.<\/p>\n

Ageism and equity<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Nearly all participants felt digital technologies were not designed with older people in mind, believing they were not viewed as a priority market by mainstream technology companies.<\/p>\n

Yet many still blamed themselves for struggling to keep up. Some also described dismissive or impatient responses when seeking help, reinforcing feelings of frustration and inadequacy.<\/p>\n

This may suggest a problem of digital\u00a0ageism<\/a>: the assumption that older people use technology less because they are unable or unwilling to engage with it.<\/p>\n

In reality, meaningful digital participation depends on much more than willingness. It\u00a0requires<\/a>\u00a0people to have the motivation, skills, confidence, access, trust and support needed to engage safely and effectively.<\/p>\n

In this context, the challenge is not about age but equity. Fortunately, many organisations and individuals across Aotearoa New Zealand are working diligently on this issue, from advocacy groups to library-based digital skills programmes.<\/p>\n

Some local companies have introduced equity products, such as age-friendly digital tablets and lower-cost mobile plans for pensioners. These efforts are essential, but more is needed.<\/p>\n

More recent interviews with people working in the field suggest a need to dispel the myth that digital exclusion will disappear as older people increasingly become \u201cdigital natives<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n

Instead, digital inclusion should be viewed as a fundamental right rather than a luxury in the hands of for-profit companies. This will require targeted policy, increased collaboration across sectors, and active involvement of older people as equal partners in digital design, testing and decision-making.<\/p>\n

New Zealanders cannot benefit from even the most well-intended developments, such as telehealth services, if even one aspect of digital inclusion is lacking.<\/p>\n

Without deliberate action, the shift to digital services risks widening the very inequities it is intended to reduce.<\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/strong> Melanie Stowell is a PhD Candidate at the University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau<\/em><\/p>\n

The author acknowledges the contributions of Rosie Dobson, Cinnamon Lindsay Latimer, Judith McCool, Robyn Whittaker and Vili Nosa to this research.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From personal health portals to AI assistants that draft emails, the digital age has simplified endless everyday tasks. But for many older New Zealanders, the rapid march of technology has\u00a0helped build a wall\u00a0rather than open doors. Navigating online forms, changing apps, disappearing face-to-face services and the constant threat of scams can be daunting. There is […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[435625],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-80510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-science-tech","tag-technostress"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018Technostress\u2019: why many older people feel shut out by the digital world - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018Technostress\u2019: why many older people feel shut out by the digital world - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From personal health portals to AI assistants that draft emails, the digital age has simplified endless everyday tasks. But for many older New Zealanders, the rapid march of technology has\u00a0helped build a wall\u00a0rather than open doors. Navigating online forms, changing apps, disappearing face-to-face services and the constant threat of scams can be daunting. There is […]\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-10T04:30:10+00:00\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-13T01:47:19+00:00\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/technostress.png\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kevin\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kevin\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kevin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee\"},\"headline\":\"\u2018Technostress\u2019: why many older people feel shut out by the digital world\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-10T04:30:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-13T01:47:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":803,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/technostress.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Technostress\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Science and Technology\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\\\/\",\"name\":\"\u2018Technostress\u2019: why many older people feel shut out by the digital world - World leading higher education information and services\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/technostress.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-10T04:30:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-13T01:47:19+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/technostress.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/technostress.png\",\"width\":680,\"height\":382},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u2018Technostress\u2019: why many older people feel shut out by the digital world\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/\",\"name\":\"World leading higher education information and services\",\"description\":\"Global Higher Education Jobs, University jobs, Lecturer & tenure jobs.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee\",\"name\":\"Kevin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g8ba4c352a279c450aa9435d770c1ebf4\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kevin\"},\"description\":\"Kevin is founder of the world.edu project. The past 28 years have been involved in publishing to the education sector in print and the internet. Kevin has a degree in Education and has a many years experience in developing companies and projects.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.edu\\\/author\\\/kevin\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u2018Technostress\u2019: why many older people feel shut out by the digital world - World leading higher education information and services","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u2018Technostress\u2019: why many older people feel shut out by the digital world - World leading higher education information and services","og_description":"From personal health portals to AI assistants that draft emails, the digital age has simplified endless everyday tasks. But for many older New Zealanders, the rapid march of technology has\u00a0helped build a wall\u00a0rather than open doors. Navigating online forms, changing apps, disappearing face-to-face services and the constant threat of scams can be daunting. There is […]","og_url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/","og_site_name":"World leading higher education information and services","article_published_time":"2026-06-10T04:30:10+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-06-13T01:47:19+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/technostress.png","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Kevin","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kevin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/"},"author":{"name":"Kevin","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/#\/schema\/person\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee"},"headline":"\u2018Technostress\u2019: why many older people feel shut out by the digital world","datePublished":"2026-06-10T04:30:10+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-13T01:47:19+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/"},"wordCount":803,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/technostress.png","keywords":["Technostress"],"articleSection":["Science and Technology"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/","url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/","name":"\u2018Technostress\u2019: why many older people feel shut out by the digital world - World leading higher education information and services","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/technostress.png","datePublished":"2026-06-10T04:30:10+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-13T01:47:19+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/#\/schema\/person\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/technostress.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/technostress.png","width":680,"height":382},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/technostress-why-many-older-people-feel-shut-out-by-the-digital-world\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/world.edu\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u2018Technostress\u2019: why many older people feel shut out by the digital world"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/#website","url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/","name":"World leading higher education information and services","description":"Global Higher Education Jobs, University jobs, Lecturer & tenure jobs.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/world.edu\/#\/schema\/person\/42c1c1d5ff7ffbdf0bd50ed94c6ae6ee","name":"Kevin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g8ba4c352a279c450aa9435d770c1ebf4","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1e8d491a5f9b9bf3db67c9e46abbba7bb06b26b458bd5025c55e0a4b9b60ea8a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kevin"},"description":"Kevin is founder of the world.edu project. The past 28 years have been involved in publishing to the education sector in print and the internet. Kevin has a degree in Education and has a many years experience in developing companies and projects.","sameAs":["https:\/\/world.edu"],"url":"https:\/\/world.edu\/author\/kevin\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80510"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80510\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80542,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80510\/revisions\/80542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80510"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/world.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=80510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}