The Use of Technology by Older Adults in El Paso, Texas during COVID-19: Purposes, Challenges, and Opportunities

Older adults face mobility and lifestyle challenges that limit their face-to-face interactions with the community. Technology used to communicate and access services has the potential to support older adults in overcoming some of these challenges; however, some older adults face difficulties in learning and using new technology. The necessity to overcome this barrier became more critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research team surveyed 74 older adults in El Paso, Texas, during the Summer of 2020 on aspects related to their use of technology. In this article, the authors report the survey findings on older adults' modes of communication, their purpose for using technology, their technology challenges, and ways they overcame technology challenges. These findings create opportunities to better understand how to use technology to foster the engagement of older adults with their community and empower them through the use of technology and Smart Cities solutions.