Technology companies don’t seem to care about developing products for seniors.

How many different technologies do you use during the day? A smartphone, personal laptop, the computer at the office, a tablet, maybe an MP3 player: these are just a few examples. There are many new products being launched every day, looking sophisticated and innovative, and of which companies make us yearn for the latest gadgets.

Well, the point is that not everyone is looking forward to this kind of thing. Actually, there is a big portion of the population that seems to be forgotten when enterprises launch their products: the elderly. The population 60 and older is growing fast around the world, with a projected increase to more than 2 billion by 2050, according to a UN forecast. This means that they will represent 32% of all the global population and will outnumber children and young people.

Although those numbers are expressive, they don’t seem to have much effect on the IT industry, which focuses strongly on the youth and lacks innovative solutions for the older generation. And it’s not like they don’t want to use this kind of technology. Senior citizens have the time and the will to communicate  and be entertained. The point is they don’t have the same skills, brain cognition and sensibilities as their grandchildren. Their bodies have changed as much as the times have since they were born.

This will probably happen to young people who were born learning how to use a computer. When they get to their 80s, they will look for devices and tools that their eyes, ears, fingers and brains will be able to handle. Probably they will stick within their comfort zone and won’t be able to follow the advance and constant changes that the technology industry imposes.

The matter of the situation isn’t about the evolution of products- it’s about how to make great technology for those who have different needs. “Making innovative technology feel familiar is a fascinating problem to solve”, said an article about the same subject in The Washington Post. This is not about only magnifying the fine print; it’s about reducing complexity and really researching which are the needs of this growing population.