Old vs New: Are all old people technologically challenged?

 

The question in my title reflects a common stereotype in the United States. Having used computers since 1969—from my first Apple II in 1978 through my law career—I’ve seen how technology adoption varies. While I've witnessed how dementia can erode these skills, my experience also shows that the 'digital divide' is often less about age and more about income and education. In my law practice, I saw senior attorneys who refused to use computers; conversely, at the BYU Library Family History Center, I work with retired volunteers who possess advanced technical skills.

I began using computers back in about 1969. Although I spent some time in the U.S. Army and Law school, I bought my first Apple II in about 1978. I have been consistently working on computers since then. I also began doing my own genealogical research in 1982. 

Both my parents were afflicted with dementia in their old age and I have seen the effects of dementia on a person's ability to handle technology. A quick review of a number of online sources reveals  a significant digital divide influenced by age, income, and education levels. While younger generations are often labeled "digital natives," experts argue they are frequently just efficient consumers of social media rather than being proficient in essential workplace software. This is my own experience with my grandchildren. When I retired from my law practice about 12 years ago, there were still senior attorneys working at the law firm who could not and/or would not use computers. Beyond my personal observations, broader data reveals that the 'digital divide' is deeply rooted in systemic literacy gaps.

Socio-economic factors such as education and income act as primary determinants of digital literacy, creating a "digital divide" both within nations and on a global scale. These factors influence not only the ability to access technology but also the capacity to use it for complex problem-solving and economic advancement. I realize I have written on this topic before, but it bears frequent repeating. 

The Role of Education

Educational attainment is one of the most consistent predictors of digital literacy.

• Foundation of Skills: Education provides the foundational literacy and numeracy skills required for "digital problem solving"—defined as the ability to use technology to acquire information, communicate, and perform practical tasks.
• Literacy Gaps: In the United States, digital literacy increases significantly with formal schooling. Approximately 41% of adults without a high school diploma are not digitally literate, compared to only 5% of those with a college degree.
• Quality vs. Degree: Simply graduating does not guarantee literacy. For instance, data from 2024 revealed that nearly 19 million Filipino students who graduated from junior and senior high school were considered functionally illiterate, meaning they could read but struggled to comprehend or apply written instructions—a major barrier to effective digital tool use.
• Global Disparities: Developed nations, which typically have adult literacy rates of 96% or higher, have much lower rates of digital non-literacy than the least developed countries, where literacy rates average only 65%.

The Impact of Income and Wealth

Income shapes digital literacy primarily by dictating access to infrastructure and the affordability of devices.

• Device Adoption and Access: In the U.S., higher-income populations adopt technology at much higher rates. Among seniors, 87% of those earning $75,000 or more have home broadband, compared to just 27% of those earning less than $30,000.
• Infrastructure Barriers: In countries like Mexico, the digital divide is heavily linked to poverty and a lack of proper fiber-optic infrastructure in rural, low-income areas. Similarly, in Sub-Saharan Africa, widespread poverty limits internet use to roughly 7% of inhabitants, even though mobile phone ownership is much higher.
• Service Costs: In regions where telecommunications are monopolized, high costs prevent low-income families from accessing the internet, further stagnating their digital skill development.

The Socio-Economic Feedback Loop

There is a profound cyclical relationship between these factors and economic success:

• Employability: Adults with higher digital literacy have higher rates of labor force participation (84%) compared to those who are not digitally literate (66%).
• Job Quality: Digitally non-literate adults are disproportionately found in unskilled or semi-skilled blue-collar jobs.
• Economic Cost: Low literacy skills are linked to lower earnings and unemployment. In the U.S., low literacy levels are estimated to cost the economy up to $2.2 trillion annually due to reduced productivity and limited employability.

Based on recent data from the National Literacy Institute and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), here is a summary of the current state of literacy in the United States:

Current Statistics (2024-2025)

Illiteracy Rate: Approximately 21% of U.S. adults are considered illiterate, which translates to roughly 43 million people who struggle with basic reading tasks.

Low Proficiency: About 54% of adults read at or below a sixth-grade level. Within this group, 20% read below a fifth-grade level.

Global Standing: The U.S. currently ranks 36th in global literacy, significantly behind other developed nations that often report literacy rates of 96% or higher.

Here are some representative sources for the above information:

• Anderson, Monica, and Andrew Perrin. "Tech Adoption Climbs Among Older Adults." Pew Research Center, May 17, 2017. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2017/05/17/tech-adoption-climbs-among-older-adults/
• Ankiana. "Millennials assume anyone older than them is technologically illiterate." Reddit, r/GenX, ca. 2023. https://www.reddit.com/r/GenX/comments/11ezz04/millennials_assume_anyone_older_then_them_is/.
• Billau, Christine. "New Study Explores Digitally Native, But Technologically Illiterate Students." UToledo News, May 19, 2021. https://news.utoledo.edu/index.php/05_19_2021/new-study-explores-digitally-native-but-technologically-illiterate-students.
• Friemel, Thomas N. "The digital divide has grown old: Determinants of a digital divide among seniors." New Media & Society 18, no. 2 (2016): 313–331. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1461444814538648.
• Mamedova, Saida, and Emily Pawlowski. "A Description of U.S. Adults Who Are Not Digitally Literate." National Center for Education Statistics (NCES 2018-161), May 2018. https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2018161.
• Moller, Ralph. "45 US Literacy Statistics Exposed." Above and Beyond Therapy, July 16, 2025. https://abtaba.com/blog/us-literacy-statistics.
• OECD. "Adult skills in literacy and numeracy declining or stagnating in most OECD countries." Press release, December 10, 2024. https://www.oecd.org/en/about/news/press-releases/2024/12/adult-skills-in-literacy-and-numeracy-declining-or-stagnating-in-most-oecd-countries.html.
• Wikipedia contributors. "Digital divide by continent, area and country." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last modified October 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_divide_by_continent,_area_and_country.

Analogy for Understanding: Think of socio-economic factors as the foundation and framework of a house. Education provides the blueprint and tools (literacy and logic) needed to build the structure, while income provides the high-quality materials (devices and high-speed internet). Without both, a person might be left standing in an empty lot, unable to build the "home" they need to participate in the modern digital world.

So, what does this "foundation" mean for the world of genealogy?

Genealogy is a rigorous academic pursuit, not just a casual hobby. Just as a house needs a solid base to stand, valid research requires high-level literacy and critical thinking. In my experience, many of the inaccuracies found in the FamilySearch.org Family Tree result from contributors who lack the reading levels necessary to analyze and document complex historical records accurately.

We must also move past the myth that "young people" are naturally better researchers. While they may navigate smartphones with ease, that skill does not translate into the ability to research ancestral lines in Germany or Scandinavia. Success in family history should begin with foundational training in reading and research—not just digital navigation.

The Bottom Line: Are all "old people" technologically challenged? No. But whether you are 18 or 80, the ability to build a reliable family history depends on the same foundation that supports every other digital achievement: literacy.