Technology to Help Enrich Seniors’ Lives (3)
The latest models do a lot more than amplify sounds. AI-powered software makes them better at tuning down background noise and amping up speech in busy environments.
Hearing aids could also one day double as digital assistants, as well as monitoring biomarkers like heart rate, body temperature and blood-oxygen saturation.
You know what I’d like to see? Better and more affordable technology to help protect old folks from scammers. It would rally help our parents and grandparents if such devices or software could be really available and affordable.
I’m all for that, Tayanita. Older people need more time to process information, so it can be hard for them to ignore distractions like instant present tough challenges for them. I think we’ll see growing demand for technology to help them in this area.
The pandemic has caused another big problem: loneliness. Feeling alone and isolated can be contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, cognitive decline and even death. Can technology make us feel less lonely? Or does it have the opposite effect?
Some people say technology helps connect people and reduces loneliness. They point to social media as an effective tool for sharing information and offering a platform for broader community input. But there are those who say relying on technology to communicate means people get less enjoyment from face-to-face interactions.
My father taught me to work hard. He did not reach me to love it. I never did like to work and I don’t deny it. I’d rather read, tell stories, crack jokes, talk, laugh-anything but work.
