How Baby Boomers became unlikely digital addicts

As much as Millennials, Zoomers, and Gen A — the first “iPad Kid” generation — are susceptible to screen addiction, it’s arguably even worse among Baby Boomers. It’s not worse in frequency, but it is in kind.

Where a 25-year-old or even a 15-year-old might blithely ignore you, variously scrolling, texting, and toggling back and forth from TikTok or Snapchat, Baby Boomers are possessed by the screen — any screen. Maybe there’s an ancient demon of screen time in the Lesser Key of Solomon or something. But whether it’s their smartphones or television, put them in front of a screen and they’re gone. Mouths agape, eyes glazed over. Sometimes they’re even drooling. Who taught Boomers how to use an iPhone, John Carpenter or George A. Romero?

How many believe that because something is published, it must be true and uncritically accept fearmongering or the trivialization of critical news stories?

This isn’t just anecdotal evidence, though; unfortunately I’ve seen it happen in the flesh.

A Pew Research Center analysis found that while Millennials lead in some technology adoption measures, Boomers are also heavy adopters. And once they can figure out how to use their devices, they’re as addicted as any of us.

This is especially true of wealthier Baby Boomers. A report from the Luxury Institute found that “generational distances regarding social media use are not as wide as commonly thought.” The report revealed that 60% of affluent Baby Boomers are inclined to use social media, compared to 73% of Generation X and 85% of Millennials.

Luxury Institute CEO Milton Pedraza noted, “The surprising part for me is that Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials are all consuming all of these media at some level. It’s not as if they’re getting left behind. These are all affluent people and tech-savvy.”

The Washington Post also highlighted this trend, sharing anecdotes from Millennials and Gen Xers about their parents’ growing attachment to their smartphones and digital devices.

“Whenever we’re together, she’s often on her phone, usually scrolling through social media,” one 37-year-old woman shared about her mother. “It really only bothers me when my children are around because they’re often trying to get her attention, and she’s unaware they’re trying to get her attention because she’s on her phone.”

Baby Boomers are becoming increasingly digitally literate. They know how to navigate the internet. But this does not necessarily translate into media literacy, which might create more problems than screen time alone.

So while it may only be rich Boomers who are totally body-snatched by their phones, all Boomers are susceptible to the information war. Even more than the rest of us.

Studies have explored how Baby Boomers handle misinformation. Age is a more predictive factor of this behavior than education, sex, race, income, or political affiliation. This trend persists even when controlling for variables like party affiliation: Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Green Party — they all do it.

Cognitive factors related to aging also play a role. While some evidence suggests older adults can effectively distinguish between true and false headlines, the challenge arises when they encounter news on social media shared by people they trust. Trust increases with age, and older adults may place greater faith in the information shared by their social networks, regardless of its accuracy.

The rise of AI and deepfakes will only complicate this trend, but we’ve also seen the damage an untrustworthy media ecosystem (and government) can do.

How many Baby Boomers were impacted by the ever-evolving narratives surrounding COVID-19, propped up by the CDC, Anthony Fauci, and fraudulent journalists? How many believe that because something is published, it must be true and uncritically accept fearmongering or the trivialization of critical news stories?

They may not be as likely to fall for trends like viral snacks or silly dances, but their minds are still ripe for capture.