AgeTech’s True Potential: How Breaking Free of Ageism Empowers Seniors to Thrive
No matter what one thinks about technology, the AgeTech industry is expanding rapidly, creating devices, apps, and systems to support the growing senior population. With tools designed to make aging at home easier—everything from health monitors to digital assistants—AgeTech promises to help older adults remain independent. And the numbers are staggering: the market is poised to hit $2 trillion by 2025, a testament to its necessity and potential.
But let’s pause and ask ourselves: Is this technology focused on the right people? Too often, AgeTech gets sidetracked by an underlying bias—ageism—that frames seniors as passive, frail, and dependent. It’s not just in the technology itself but also in the way these tools are designed, marketed, and used. While intended to help, many technologies inadvertently take control away from the people they are meant to support.
Ageism Hides in Plain Sight
We’ve all seen it. There’s a particular narrative about getting older: You need help, slow down, and your autonomy slips away. Technology designed to help with aging often leans into this story, focusing on monitoring, tracking, and notifying caregivers. From fall detection to medication reminders to AI-driven sensors, these tools aim to reassure families and caregivers. However, in the process, they can leave the senior feeling more like an object being managed than a person with choices.
Here’s where ageism sneaks in. In hoping to ease the caregiver burden, we risk taking away agency from seniors themselves. Sometimes, AgeTech becomes about making sure someone else knows if something goes wrong, not necessarily giving seniors more control over their own lives. The result? There is a growing divide between seniors and the tools designed for them. It’s a strange irony: technology meant to promote independence can reinforce feelings of dependence.
Rethinking the Way Forward: Redesigning for Autonomy
This isn’t just a philosophical problem; it’s a design flaw. If AgeTech is to truly help people thrive in place—not just age in place—it must be built with seniors at the center, not as an afterthought. There’s power in rethinking how we approach these tools.
Keep All Stakeholders in Mind, Especially the Seniors: Co-designing with seniors should be a priority. If we want to create tools that genuinely empower, we need to listen to the people who will use them. I’m talking about focus groups, feedback loops, and collaboration with older adults from the very beginning. MIT AgeLab’s research shows that when seniors are part of the process, technology becomes more intuitive and useful.
Move Beyond Deficits: Much of AgeTech is deficit-driven—focused on what people can’t do. Addressing physical or cognitive challenges is crucial, but aging is not just a decline. Many older adults are thriving creatively, socially, and intellectually. Let’s create tools that foster this growth instead of just managing risks.
Universal Design is Key: Here’s where we can take a cue from broader movements. Universal design—building products that work for everyone, regardless of ability—isn’t just a trend; it’s the future. This means creating customizable features so a tech-savvy senior can dive into all the bells and whistles while someone less familiar can opt for simplicity.
The Caregiver Paradox
I understand that caregivers play a huge role in the lives of many older adults. And AgeTech should lighten their load. But we must be careful. If we design technology that caters only to the caregiver’s peace of mind, we risk sidelining the senior, reducing their sense of agency and potential adoption rates. Seniors might feel like they’re under constant surveillance, as though they’re being checked up on instead of checked in with. This can subtly reinforce internalized ageism—making the senior feel like they’re no longer in control of their life.
The solution? It’s about balance. There’s a sweet spot where we can design for both the senior and the caregiver. Tools that offer transparency, where seniors control who gets notified and when, allow both parties to feel secure without compromising autonomy.
Changing the Story of Aging
It’s also about the story we tell—about aging, tech, and independence. We must shift from seeing aging as a period of loss to a time of transformation. AgeTech should be marketed to show how it can foster autonomy and how technology can enrich lives, not just manage deficits.
It’s easy to get lost in this market's numbers and growth, but at its heart, AgeTech is about people—about letting individuals live the way they choose, not how we think they should. As we build, we must constantly check our assumptions. Are we respecting the people we are designing for? Are we giving them control, or are we subtly taking it away?
Moving Forward with Intent
Ultimately, I believe AgeTech can do much more than help seniors age in place. It can help them thrive, connect, and continue to grow. But to get there, we must confront the quiet ageism in our designs, prioritizing autonomy and agency. Seniors deserve more than just a place to age; they deserve tools that help them thrive.