Technology and Aging

Technology surrounds us, from pens to write with to medical equipment and activity trackers that allow us to assess steps, calories, sleep, and more generally monitor our health and to devices that allow us to access information and communicate instantaneously. At the most basic level, technology is simply a tool that allows individuals to do things, often in easier ways than they could do before the advent of that technology. This entry focuses on information and communication technologies (ICTs). ICTs are devices, tools, and applications that enable individuals to collect and access information and communicate. Examples include computers, the Internet, telephones (mobile and landline), radios, videoconferencing, social networking sites, and e-mail.

ICTs have proliferated since the mid-1990s, with an increasing number of devices and applications becoming ...