As Singapore continues to push forward with its digital transformation, it is important to ensure that its elderly population is not left behind, a sentiment echoed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a recent speech, when he spoke on the need to “strengthen the culture of respect towards seniors — show that we understand and value one another, and avoid thinking in stereotypes that are hurtful and self-limiting”. This push for cohesion couldn’t have come at a better time. With Singapore's rapidly aging population, it is crucial to integrate seniors into the digital journey, allowing them to reap the benefits of technology and remain active members of society.

In a rapidly changing world that expects everyone to be tech-savvy, the many initiatives the Singapore government has rolled out to support the silver generation’s digitalisation journey, and well-being in general, are welcome. Blackbox studies have consistently found that digitalisation issues are a key consideration for the senior population in Singapore. In a 2023 Blackbox survey, ‘New consumer technology breakthroughs’ was ranked among the top 5 changes likely to impact one’s life in the coming decade, with seniors ranking it the third most impactful change. To ensure wider adoption of such technologies among seniors, focusing on user experience is critical.

From a broader perspective, it may be that seniors simply need encouragement to adopt digital solutions in their daily lives, for their enthusiasm is already intact. Even when it comes to advanced technology like Artificial Intelligence, which has the world divided on whether it is something to be afraid of or excited by, 37% of respondents aged 50 and above voted for the latter, in our recent survey. This flies in the face of those hasty conclusions about the lack of willingness and openness of the silver generation to learn and adapt. We just need to find better ways as a society to make it happen, and while the Government will play its role, the question must also be put to ourselves: Are we doing enough for our elders at home?

Blackbox’s take on digitalisation

Blackbox has observed the demographic digital divide in Singapore in its flagship Public Service Experience Index,  which has been tracking the digital trajectory of Singapore’s public sector agencies since 2019. Our findings in 2023 showed that the score for Digital Experience (DX), which measures how citizens prefer to transact or interact with an agency, dropped sharply among the overall population from 39.1/100 in 2021 to 24.3 in 2022 (the higher the score, the more citizens prefer accessing a service digitally). Seniors scored this parameter even lower, at only 15.6. This result indicates that when freedom to choose how to interact with agencies returned after the end of pandemic restrictions, many seniors put down their devices and returned to traditional channels to do their government business.

With seniors increasingly working for longer and the retirement age being pushed up, organisations will need better strategies on how to integrate this generation within the workplace while meeting their unique needs with dignity. To understand how Blackbox can help you make this happen, reach out to us at connect@blackbox.com.sg