Kiwi baby boomers feeling patronised by tech companies

 A new study from AVH Technologies has revealed that nearly half of New Zealanders aged  50 and over feel patronised by technology companies.

AVG surveyed almost six thousand people over the age of 50 about their technology habits and opinions as part of their Boomer Survey.

The research highlighted some interesting points about New Zealand baby boomer's attitudes towards technology, AVG says. According to the results of the survey, 29% of Kiwi baby boomers spend more time communicating with their grandchildren online than they do offline, the highest percentage of all countries.

Unlike younger generations, the most owned/used device amongst those over 50 is a camera (83%), compared to the relatively low usage of smartphones at 48% (compared to younger generations).

The results show the most predominantly used apps are banking/financial at 62%, followed by social apps at 54%.

AVG says 88% of those surveyed agree that technology has improved their ability to communicate with family and friends, while only 27% of respondents say they find it easy to keep up with/use the latest technology.

AVG says 9% of those surveyed say technology makes them feel vulnerable, and 14% worry about doing something wrong online and embarrassing themselves. Of those surveyed, 40% of Kiwi baby boomers are concerned about remembering passwords, more than any other country surveyed.

When it comes to technology usage in general, 21% describe themselves as novices, 72% as average users and 8% as expert users. Interestingly, a quarter of Kiwi baby boomers have learned about a family members/friend's passing on a social website.

When it comes to passing advice on to their grandkids, AVG says the most common was to not share too much information online (48%), followed by to tell their parents or grandparents if anything upsetting happens online (45%).

And importantly, to remember that everything they post online will be there forever (34%)