This article for The Atlantic explores the essential role that digital connection play in the lives of older adults, made even more crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic. OATS is highlighted as a solution to help older adults engage and connect online, and to help them get online in the first place through the Aging Connected initiative.
“At a time when maintaining social distance is an ongoing matter of public health, social technologies like video calls aren’t just a matter of convenience: The human connection they enable can prove critical to happiness and well-being. This is especially true for seniors, who have long combatted high rates of social isolation, a condition that’s detrimental to their mental health and increases their risk of stroke, heart disease, and dementia. Seniors’ isolation is exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, which makes older adults’ lack of technology access and education even more visible and concerning.”
Illustration by Sergio Membrillas for The Atlantic