Older Adults in the Digital Age: Keys to Online Safety

While we may think of internet safety as being important to certain populations (e.g., kids and teens)-- internet safety can be particularly important for older adult populations as well. This blog will hopefully raise awareness about how to stay safe and secure online in an increasingly digital world.

Throughout the United States and globally, the predominance of older adults are now internet users and projected to increase as time goes on (Anderson & Perrin, 2017; Dahlke et al., 2019). For many older adults, they may experience a multitude of benefits through internet use. For older adults, social benefits (e.g., reduction in loneliness and social isolation) have been associated with the use of technology (Blok et al., 2020; Chopik, 2016, Sen et al., 2022; Szabo et al., 2019) and a host of other benefits (Aggarwal et al., 2020). Potential benefits to internet use for older adults may include the following:

• Connecting with friends and family (as well as finding support and community!),
• Promoting opportunities for lifelong learning,
• Accessing financial information,
• Accessing health information and teleservices,
• Engaging in leisure activities,
• Finding the latest news, and
• Shopping in a convenient manner.

In addition, older adults may experience a newfound sense of confidence, independence, and freedom that can be empowering through their ability to navigate the digital world. They may also find themselves more connected to their social circles, the “world”, and everyday events. As some older adults face normative and non-nomative health changes and declines, aspects of functioning (e.g., changes in mobility, changes in cognitive skills, level of independence, transportation limitations) may impact how they choose to or need to interact in their daily lives.

While there are many benefits and conveniences of internet use for older adults, they may be at risk for and/or find themselves victim to targeted online predation and exploitation. Older adults may be more vulnerable to online scams, misinformation, and identity theft. Online predators may capitalize on this and use older adults as targets for things like financial exploitation. Hackers and cybercriminals have been found to take advantage of older adults, urging them to share personal information, through the use of email,phone calls, and social media.

Older adults may have unique characteristics and histories for both social media risks and other online risks (Feng et al., 2023; Goyeneche et al., 2024). They are often targeted by online scams and fraud-- for some, due to being less familiar with the current digital threats. It is more important now than ever for all internet users, including older adults, to learn how to protect their personal information and use and navigate the internet safely. Whether you are a clinician, family member, caregiver, or older adult-- the tips and resources below may serve as helpful tips and informational resources to help older adults stay safe online.

Organizations like the National Council on Aging, National Cybersecurity Alliance, and Older Adults Technology Services from AARP offer tips for seniors to enhance online safety. Below are online safety tips that can be employed to enhance online safety:

• Use strong, unique passwords.
• Maintain up-to-date software (on computer, smartphone, and apps) as these updates often include security patches to fix vulnerabilities.
• Avoid oversharing on social media. Protecting privacy is key!
• Be aware of your “digital footprint” and understand that what is shared is accessible to others.
• Use two-factor authentication.
• When something online seems odd or suspicious, talk to a trusted person or seek technical support before taking action. Remember - it is always ok to ask for help.

Below are some cybersecurity tips that can be helpful and serve as good reminders:

• Avoid clicking on links from unfamiliar senders.
• Exercise caution when receiving odd or unexpected messages (even when these messages are from people you know).
• When you feel pressured, proceed with caution and take this as a possible warning sign.

These cybersecurity tips are not only good reminders of steps older adults can take, but great reminders for all engaging in internet use. Older adults should be supported in understanding common scams. Older adults may be targeted for the following types of scams: -romance scams, -tech support scams, -prize scams, and -impersonation scams. Romance scams entail when an online “friend” asks for personal information or money. Whereas tech support scams are when someone calls a person indicating that their computer has a virus and asks for remote access in an “attempt” to help. The third type of scam (that older adults may fall victim) to is prize scams. Prize scams, which often capitalize on a person’s excitement, when they are told that they “won” a prize, but they must first pay a small monetary fee in order to claim their prize. Finally, impersonation scams are when someone pretends to be a relative or government official asking for money urgently to meet a need. Some older adults may be specifically targeted for one or more of these types of scams due to their unique characteristics and demographics.

The internet can offer many benefits to older adults to connect with their community, obtain information, and access medical and other services in an accessible manner. While there are a multitude of benefits, it is critical to support older adults with information to use the internet safely. For certain populations, such as older adults, unique characteristics and factors may pose (and perhaps elevate) risks of online danger. Whatever your age cohort, it is important to be mindful of the safety risks of online use. If you are an older adult, working with older adults, or have loved members in their “Golden Years” -- keep in mind that unique factors may pose specific safety risks to Internet Use. Integrating safety habits to cut down on online exploitation and cybersecurity threats can provide many benefits for older adults. For resource information on internet safety and other safety resources for older adults, please see the resource list below:

Resource List

• AARP
• Strategies for Staying Safe Online and Secure Online - https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2019/privacy-for-seniors.html
• Braven Health
• https://bravenhealth.com/blog/detail/internet-safety-tips-older-adults
• ConnectSafely
• https://connectsafely.org/seniors-guide-to-online-safety/
• Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency
• Online Safety Tips for Older Adults - https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/Secure-Our-World-Online-Safety-for-Older-Adults-Tip-Sheet.pdf
• Morgan Stanley
• Cybersecurity for Seniors: A Guide for Loved Ones - https://www.morganstanley.com/articles/cybersecurity-for-seniors
• National Council on Aging
• Improving Your Personal Cybersecurity - https://www.ncoa.org/article/how-older-adults-can-improve-their-personal-cyber-security/
• Scam and Fraud Prevention - https://www.ncoa.org/older-adults/money/management/avoiding-scams/
• Online Safety for Older Adults - https://www.councilonaging.org/blog/online-safety-for-older-adults/
• National Cybersecurity Alliance
• https://www.staysafeonline.org/
• Online Safety Tips for Older Adults - https://www.staysafeonline.org/articles/online-safety-tips-for-older-adults
• National Domestic Violence Hotline
• https://www.thehotline.org/stakeholders/download-and-request-materials/
• Provides resources (e.g., social media kit, internet safety, other materials)
• OATS (Older Adults Technology Services) from AARP
• Online Safety for Older Adults (fact sheets) - https://oats.org/online-safety-for-older-adults-new-fact-sheets-from-engaged-and-oats/
• Washington State - Office of the Attorney General
• Internet Safety for Seniors - https://www.councilonaging.org/blog/online-safety-for-older-adults/
• Alzheimer’s Association - Healthy Habits for Your Brain
• https://www.alz.org/help-support/brain_health/10-healthy-habits-for-your-brain

Reference List

Aggarwal, B., Xiong, Q., & Schroeder-Butterfill, E. (2020). Impact of the use of the internet on quality of life in older adults: review of literature. Primary Health Care Research & Development, 21, e55. https://doi.org/10.1017/S14634...

Anderson, M., & Perrin, A. (2017). Tech adoption climbs among older adults. https://policycommons.net/arti...;

Blok, M., van Ingen, E., de Boer, A. H., & Slootman, M. (2020). The use of information and communication technologies by older people with cognitive impairments: from barriers to benefits. Computers in Human Behavior, 104, 106173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.106173

Chopik, W. J. (2016). The benefits of social technology use among older adults are mediated by reduced loneliness. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 19(9), 551-556. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber....

Dahlke, D., Lindeman, D., & Ory, M. (2019, January). 70% of seniors are now online and using technology. In Proceedings of the World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland (pp. 22-25).

Feng, D., Rafih, H., & Munteanu, C. (2023, July). Understanding Older Adults’ Safety Perceptions and Risk Mitigation Strategies when Accessing Online Services. In International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 467-491). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.

Goyeneche, D., Singaraju, S., & Arango, L. (2024). Linked by age: a study on social media privacy concerns among younger and older adults. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 124(2), 640-665. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-07-2023-0462

Sen, K., Prybutok, G., & Prybutok, V. (2022). The use of digital technology for social wellbeing reduces social isolation in older adults: A systematic review. SSM-population health, 17, 101020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.101020

Szabo, A., Allen, J., Stephens, C., & Alpass, F. (2019). Longitudinal analysis of the relationship between purposes of internet use and well-being among older adults. The Gerontologist, 59(1), 58-68. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gny036