The image of the older adult away from technology is becoming less and less representative. Today, a good part of the Silver generation uses cell phones, shops, travels, manages their finances and contracts services through digital channels.. However, being connected does not always mean being able to solve without help. This difference, which still goes unnoticed by many companies, begins to define how much this audience consumes, what brands they choose and what experiences they decide to abandon.

The change has a demographic weight that is difficult to ignore. In Latin America and the Caribbean, people aged 60 or older exceeded 98 million in 2025 and represented 14.7% of the regional population, according to ECLAC data. By 2050 it is estimated that there will be around 183 million: one in four people. It is no longer a question of preparing for a future market, but rather of understanding consumers who currently form a growing part of demand.

The impact can also be measured in money. The so-called silver economy—the set of goods and services aimed at people over 50 years of age—reached an estimated global value of US$3.25 trillion in 2026 and could reach US$6.24 trillion in 2035. Each difficulty that remains unresolved has a concrete commercial consequence: operations that are not carried out, products that are not contracted, and links with brands that weaken.

Added to the expansion of the segment is a transformation in their lifestyle. Greater longevity opened a stage in which many people reach retirement with health, economic stability, social ties and their own projects. "Now they are much more active, they play sports, travel and have a greater social life. It is no longer the grandfather who is at home, alone," he points out. Alejandrina Chichizola, founder of Lateral Thinking, a consulting firm that collaborates with companies and institutions to transform data into strategic decisions through market research, data analysis and artificial intelligence. The problem, he explains, is that a good part of the market still addresses them from a perspective constructed by younger generations.

This distance usually produces two equally ineffective responses: treating the adult as if they were a child or requiring them to adapt to complex platforms designed for intensive users. "Companies are not necessarily speaking to that target. They generally speak to everyone equally," warns Chichizola. Instead of solving specific needs, many interfaces accumulate buttons, functionalities and instructions that increase the fear of making mistakes and end up discouraging use.

Four profiles that force us to look beyond age

One of the main findings of Lateral Thinking is that the Silver generation does not function as a homogeneous block. Based on its qualitative research, the consultancy identified four archetypes regarding technology: the Silver Digital, which explores, learns and solves without assistance; the Silver Functional, which easily uses a limited group of applications; the Assisted Silver, who needs help when faced with news or problems; and the Silver Resistente, who avoids or delegates technology when he finds an in-person alternative.

According to the study carried out by the consulting firm, the profiles show why chronological age is insufficient to anticipate behaviors. Education, lifestyle, work history, learning ability, support network and previous relationship with technology can weigh much more. The same person may also purchase independently on a platform, need assistance with home banking, and completely resist using a state application. “Age groups, but does not explain,” summarizes the Lateral Thinking analysis.

The consultancy proposes, therefore, observing four different instances: having access, using the tool, resolving autonomously and trusting. In Argentina, 86.4% of people aged 60 or older were already using technology in 2023, compared to 65.7% registered in 2016, according to INDEC data included in the report. But these indicators do not reveal whether they can complete an operation without assistance or whether they feel safe enough to do so.

Digital autonomy becomes especially relevant because almost all daily activities incorporated some online instance. Making an appointment, making a payment, booking a trip, taking a course or managing money requires interacting with a screen. "What they want most is to maintain their autonomy. They don't want to depend on their children or relatives, they don't want to be a nuisance," explains Chichizola. In this scenario, needing help to operate an application is not an isolated difficulty: it can restrict decisions, consumption and personal projects.

For companies, the challenge is to stop interpreting lack of use as lack of interest. "The Silver generation can no longer be thought of only as a digital inclusion challenge. It is also a huge business opportunity. The Silver generation is already changing; The question is whether companies are changing with it,” concludes Chichizola.