Articles
The Journal on Active Aging brings articles of value to professionals dedicated to older-adult quality of life. Content sweeps across the active-aging landscape to focus on education and practice. Find articles of interest by searching the article archives in three ways: Enter a keyword in the articles search bar; click on search by topic; or type a keyword or phrase in the general search bar at the top of the page.
Topic- Technology
Unpack the potential of wellness technology by Patricia Ryan, MS
A lot of technology is already in place within organizations serving older adults, and more is being developed at lightning speed. You know that the right technology could help you do your job, and could help the residents and clients you work with. But, how do you choose what is effective versus hyped? Use this 10-step planning method to find the technology that helps realize the promise of person-centered wellness.
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Virtual reality: A fun way to motivate older adults to move by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Can virtual reality (VR) technology be used to motivate older adults to move? The answer seems to be a clear yes. Participants in a randomized, controlled pilot study in an independent living community were overwhelmingly enthusiastic about a VR intervention. Preliminary findings suggest an increase in time spent in physical activity.
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Demystifying ChatGPT for active-aging organizations.by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Here's what you need to know about what is arguably the hottest technology trend today. The potential benefits for organizations and residents/members are real, but so are the cautions. Be prepared to explore!
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Demystifying the metaverse for health and wellness by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Whether you call it the "metaverse" or simply talk about tools and programs, it is here to stay, according to ICAA CEO and Founder Colin Milner, who believes "it's time for active-aging professionals to jump in." Here's what you need to know about a trend embraced in just about every industry right now.
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The "health data economy": Marketing connects interests and lifestyle to improve health by Colin Milner
What is the future of marketing? If you or I could answer that question with any accuracy, we would earn a lot of money. But is it an impossible task? Well, it's not implausible for us to find indicators to guide us. As an example, we know technology will continue to play a significant role in how we learn about products and services. Algorithms are already key. Whether we're on Facebook or Netflix, what we see is driven by algorithms that take our purchasing history and match new compelling options to gain our business. Some people see algorithms, as well as Internet cookies and other things that facilitate technology-based marketing, as Big Brother-like intrusions on their privacy; others welcome this marketing as a convenience. Many marketers see the benefits. ... With its focus on interests, such marketing is about delivering the right content, service or product at the right moment. But what if the future of marketing is not just about our interests? What if it's about how those interests interact with our lifestyles to improve health and well-being? According to S. Jay Olshansky, PhD, a focus on enhancing health and well-being will drive the "health data economy," and the marketers who seek your business.
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Taking a digital dive into the lives of "Active Aging consumers" by Jeff Weiss
As a company with a mission to break the myths and to crush the stereotypes around aging, we see examples every day of the older population embracing a digital life. This should surprise no one. The older population has grown up with tech and, in many ways, has had to adapt to the rapid pace of digital change as much as anyone--going from typewriters and dial phones in childhood, to cordless phones and computers in youth or adulthood, to mobile Bluetooth and Wi-Fi-enabled devices in mid- or later-life. Still, cold hard numbers talk--especially for skeptical marketers--so Age of Majority saw an opportunity to help quantify the digital experience of adults we term "Active Aging consumers," or Active Agers (that is, people ages 55+ who are digitally, socially, mentally and physically active). ... [W]e undertook one of our most comprehensive research efforts to date to map out the digital landscape among Active Agers. ... The findings will likely be a wake-up call to marketers who underestimate the role of digital devices in the lives of the older population as a means of serving and engaging this group.
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