Long perceived as bystanders in the digital revolution, India's elderly population is now stepping firmly into the spotlight, becoming some of the most engaged participants in the online world. From morning bhajan sessions on Zoom to managing UPI payments and video calls with grandchildren, smartphones are reshaping the daily lives and emotional landscapes of seniors across the country.
The Virtual Sangam: Connection in a Click
Every morning, 63-year-old Aruna Divakaran from Palakkad, Kerala, initiates a spiritual gathering that transcends geography. Her laptop screen fills with a mosaic of faces, all over 60, logging in from Kerala, Bengaluru, and even the United States for discourses on the Bhagavad Gita and Narayaneeyam. What began as physical meetings transitioned to Zoom during the pandemic, a shift Aruna navigated despite initially claiming ignorance of technology. "I don't know anything about technology," she says, though her proficiency tells a different story. For her and many participants, often alone after children leave for work, these virtual sessions are a vital thread of community and purpose.
This transformation is widespread. A 2025 HelpAge India report underscores the trend, revealing that 41% of the elderly surveyed own smartphones. While nearly two-thirds find digital tools confusing and more than half fear making mistakes, a significant 74% believe technology has brought them closer to younger generations. With India's senior population projected to hit 230 million by 2036 and smartphone penetration deep, this digital integration is set to grow.
The Double-Edged Sword: Companionship and Concern
The smartphone serves as an entertainer, a companion, and a conduit for connection, filling voids left by shrinking family sizes and physical isolation. In west Delhi, Srishti Goel, 27, observes her parents' deep immersion. Her father spends hours on political commentary, while her mother flits between bhajans and cooking videos. "Sometimes we are all sitting together and nobody is talking," Srishti notes, pointing to altered attention spans and silent living rooms.
Yet, the device also fosters bonds. Parents reconnect with siblings via WhatsApp and find community in groups filled with greetings and jokes. However, this engagement comes with risks. Clinical psychologist Dr. Jasmine Arora explains that older adults often experience digital content as emotionally real, transferring their trust from traditional media to platforms like YouTube and WhatsApp. This creates a "porous boundary" where misleading information solidifies into belief, fueled by autoplay algorithms that turn the phone into a constant companion.
Geriatric specialist Dr. Prasun Chatterjee of Artemis Hospitals, Gurgaon, highlights the health implications. "Digital addiction among this age group was not this apparent five years ago," he states. In his practice, out of 25 patients with sleep issues, at least 10 are linked to late-night mobile scrolling. Screen time exceeding four hours can be detrimental, fragmenting attention and impairing memory formation. The convenience of apps also reduces mental exercise, like remembering bank details, while blue light exposure contributes to sleep debt, headaches, and eye strain.
Navigating Fear and Building Resilience
Beyond addiction, a pervasive fear of cyber fraud haunts this demographic. Stories of electricity-bill scams, courier frauds, and "digital arrest" schemes make many seniors hesitant to answer unknown calls. Vinit Kumar, IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime, Delhi), confirms their vulnerability. "Cybercriminals target all age groups, but seniors tend to lose more because they usually have more savings and often live alone," he says. Scams often start with a deceptive .apk link, creating panic and urgency to bypass rational thought.
Experts advocate for education and better design. Gerontologist Dr. Meenal Thakral emphasizes that most interfaces are not built with seniors in mind, needing larger fonts, simple icons, and reliable voice control. For prevention, DCP Kumar stresses digital hygiene, such as enabling two-step authentication.
Dr. Chatterjee suggests constructive pathways to balance. Leveraging the disciplined nature of the elderly, he recommends cultivating new hobbies, setting routines that intersperse screen time with reading, gardening, or puzzles, and avoiding phones during walks and before bed. In Delhi's Mayur Vihar Extension, a group of men in their 80s embody this learning curve. While one lost nearly Rs 1 lakh to a scam, others, like 88-year-old retired engineer S.P. Aggarwal, use technology cautiously, avoiding online payments. Sudarshan, 72, a former banker, actively uses net banking but stays alert to threats, consciously trying to read more to reduce screen time.
The journey of India's elderly into the digital realm is a complex tapestry of empowerment and risk. As they log in for devotion, connection, and convenience, the challenge lies in designing inclusive technology, fostering digital literacy, and ensuring that the screen that connects does not ultimately isolate.
