Stop treating older audiences as digital laggards

There is a persistent and increasingly outdated assumption in media strategy meetings: that older readers—typically over 55—remain digital stragglers. They’re imagined as reluctant adopters, slow to navigate platforms, dismissive of innovation, and in need of simplified, analog-friendly versions of everything. But this stereotype is not only false—it’s becoming actively counterproductive.

In truth, older audiences are not lagging behind. They are showing up in digital spaces, consuming content across devices, subscribing to newsletters, participating in comment threads, and engaging with podcasts. What they are not doing is tolerating digital experiences that are badly designed, condescending in tone, or built for another demographic entirely.

Publishers who continue to treat older users as edge cases in their digital transformation efforts risk alienating one of the most loyal, financially valuable, and increasingly sophisticated segments of their audience.

The data tells a different story

Contrary to lingering assumptions, older demographics are not averse to technology. Pew Research shows that internet adoption among those aged 65 and older in the US has more than doubled over the past decade. Smartphone usage, video streaming, and even social media participation have all seen significant growth among this group.

Moreover, older audiences are more likely to pay for digital news than their younger counterparts. They are more inclined to value quality, trust reputable brands, and spend time with longform content. Many subscribe not only for access, but out of a desire to support journalism itself.

This isn’t an audience waiting to be dragged into the digital age. It’s one that is already there—quietly adapting, increasingly discerning, and deeply willing to engage on their own terms.

Design assumptions still skew young

The problem is that too many digital products are not designed with this audience in mind. Fonts are small, interfaces cluttered, navigation obscure. Voice and tone are tailored for speed and irony rather than depth and clarity. In many cases, the user experience seems optimised for a twenty-something sprinting through an app, not a fifty-something reading attentively on a tablet.

Older users do not lack digital literacy. They lack patience for poorly conceived digital experiences. And they are right to. What some publishers interpret as digital hesitancy is often just quiet rejection of products that weren’t made with them in mind.

The solution is not to simplify, patronise, or water down digital offerings. It is to design better—and to test those designs across a broader spectrum of users, not just the youngest and most vocal.

Depth, not novelty, is the draw

Where younger audiences often favour formats that are quick, conversational, and fluid, older audiences tend to prize depth, reliability, and focus. This does not mean they resist new formats—many listen to podcasts, attend webinars, or engage in comment sections. But they do so when those formats offer substance.

The most successful publishers with older digital audiences understand this distinction. Outlets such as The Economist, The Atlantic, and Financial Times maintain strong older reader loyalty not because they avoid digital innovation, but because they pair it with editorial seriousness and thoughtful product design.

These brands don’t chase attention—they earn it. And they offer older readers a digital experience that reflects their curiosity, not their age.

The strategic cost of neglect

Ignoring the digital potential of older readers is not just a missed opportunity—it is a strategic failure. This is an audience with disposable income, habit-forming loyalty, and a strong willingness to pay for journalism they value. And unlike younger demographics, they are less swayed by platforms and more anchored to brands.

In an era of churn, distrust, and declining advertising revenue, cultivating this group should be a priority—not an afterthought. Yet many publishers continue to treat younger audiences as the future and older ones as the past.

The truth is more complex. The digital future belongs to whoever engages well—regardless of age.

A better model of digital inclusion

To move forward, publishers need to rethink what inclusion means in a digital context. This means:

• Testing new formats across age groups—not just Gen Z and millennials

• Designing interfaces with clarity, contrast, and legibility in mind

• Valuing longer attention spans, deeper reading habits, and feedback rooted in experience

• Dropping the ageist language and assumptions that still linger in product and editorial meetings

Digital transformation was never meant to be generationally exclusive. Its purpose was to expand reach, improve access, and deepen engagement. Older audiences are not standing in the way of that future. They are part of it—if publishers are willing to meet them where they already are.