A Pew Research report, “Half of adult cell phone owners have apps on their phones,” notes a rise in the number of adults owning cell phones. Based on a survey of people in the U.S. 18 and older, the article goes on to say that the purchase of phones already equipped with apps is also on the rise. Have your tried buying a cell phone recently? I have. It is near impossible to find a phone that does not have apps preloaded. If you are planning a cell phone purchase for a senior friend or relative, like me, consider these facts of life for us mature cell phone users.
Size matters
For some of us, as we age, our vision or ability to press small buttons falters. Give us a phone with a large button pad and the ability to increase the font size. And speaking of size, choose a phone for arthritic fingers to handle. If a flip phone, make sure the top flip portion has sufficient extension over the bottom portion of the phone for easier opening.
If I wanted to text, I would send an email from my computer
I marvel at the dexterity of cell phone users who can text with lighting speed. Their nimble thumbs can butcher the English language by shortening words and phrases to more quickly send their deepest and most urgent thoughts across the digital universe. Those of us in the 50 plus age group who use a texting feature on a cell phone may do so to acquiesce to the demands of a younger generation. Do not expect us to embrace texting. We like talking to hear a real laugh (not read LOL) or a pensive pause injected to add to meaning to the conversation.
Apps?
The design of cell phone I purchased was more important to me than the service provider or available applications. If I had the time to surf the web or play video games or whatever else people use apps for, then I would do that on my computer. Yet every vendor I visited was pushing those apps, not simple phones. When did a phone stop being phone? It’s more like a hand-held computer that just, coincidentally, has a phone functions.
Keep it simple
I recall as a child that we had a wall mounted wooden phone that you cranked to contact an operator. My father was not ready to release his hold on that technology because it worked for our home purposes. It’s not that we seniors are not willing to step out of our comfort zone. Many of us look at a cell phone as an easy way to keep in touch with family and to offer a certain level of security that help is just a phone call away. Keep the cell phone operation and features simple.