When it comes to phone addiction, it’s usually kids or teenagers who get all the scolding. But what if we told you the new addicts are actually the elderly? Well, it’s not just us saying this. Recent reports and research studies suggest that the screen-addiction problem is no longer limited to Gen Z. Boomers are also guilty.
Researchers are now finding that older adults, especially people in their 50s, 60s and beyond, are also spending increasing amounts of time on smartphones, tablets and TVs, endlessly scrolling through social media or watching videos late into the night. In some cases, this growing dependence on screens is starting to affect their health, sleep and daily life.
A recent report in The Washington Post highlighted how screen use among older adults has grown sharply over the past decade. According to the report, social media use among people aged 65 and above has risen significantly since 2010, while surveys show that adults over 50 now spend dozens of hours every week on digital devices. Families interviewed in the story said they often notice parents and grandparents scrolling through Facebook, watching YouTube, reading news apps or even chatting with AI tools during family time — something that was once associated mostly with younger people.
In fact, a similar trend was highlighted in a separate report by The Economist, which cited multiple international surveys and academic studies on digital habits among older adults. The report, referring to data from research firm GWI and media regulator Ofcom, said people over 65 today are more likely than younger adults to own devices such as tablets, laptops and smart TVs.
The report also highlighted media-usage studies which reveal that when television, smartphones and computers are combined, retirees can end up spending more total time in front of screens than young adults. According to the report, one major reason behind this shift is that today’s retirees are far more familiar with technology than previous generations and also have more free time after leaving work.
More screen time may also affect health
The concern is not just about addiction. Studies suggest that rising screen time among older adults may also have health effects. This includes poorer sleep, lower physical activity and higher levels of anxiety caused by constant news consumption or late-night scrolling. A 2022 smartphone-addiction study from South Korea, published by Springer Nature, found that around 15 per cent of people aged 60–69 were at risk of problematic phone use.
Research titled ‘Joint associations of physical activity and screen time with overweight among Japanese adults’, linked higher screen time among older adults to lower levels of physical activity.
Data cited from UK media regulator Ofcom also shows that older adults spend several hours a day on screens, often more than younger users when television and smartphones are combined. The report also refers to research by Stanford economist Hunt Allcott and colleagues, which found that reducing Facebook use improved mental health, with a stronger effect seen in older users.
There are also concerns that older adults may be more vulnerable to online habits that become compulsive. Unlike teenagers, who often have school schedules or parental limits, retirees usually have fewer restrictions on their screen time. According to The Economist report, experts say this can make it easier to fall into patterns of binge-watching, endless news reading or doomscrolling, where people keep consuming negative content for hours without realising how much time has passed.
Notably, the researchers across these studies are not calling the use of screens harmful altogether. They acknowledge that smartphones and computers can help older adults stay connected with family, reduce loneliness and keep their minds active. However, the studies make one thing clear, screen addiction is no longer just a teenage problem. As smartphones become central to everyday life for every generation, the same habits once blamed on kids are now being seen among parents and grandparents too.
