Short Wave

Screen time is up for grandma and grandpa

February 25, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • Smartphone addiction among older adults may result from pre-existing social factors like isolation and alienation, rather than being the primary cause of these issues. 
  • The utility of screen time for older adults must be evaluated based on whether it replaces better activities or serves as a vital connection against isolation and apathy. 
  • Technology like rideshare apps and virtual reality offers significant benefits to older adults by enhancing mobility and facilitating deep therapeutic engagement, showcasing technology at its best. 

Segments

Introduction to Geriatric Psychiatry
Copied to clipboard!
(00:00:21)
  • Key Takeaway: Older adults possess unique wisdom and perspective gained through life experience.
  • Summary: The guest, Ipsit Vahia, specializes in geriatric psychiatry, motivated by his appreciation for older individuals. He notes that older people often have the coolest stories and exhibit increasing humor and sharpness with age. His background includes having all four grandparents live well into their 80s and 90s.
Screen Time Explosion Post-Smartphone
Copied to clipboard!
(00:01:21)
  • Key Takeaway: The arrival of the smartphone in 2007 marked a sentinel event leading to increased screen time among older adults.
  • Summary: Screen time habits among those over 65 now parallel those of Gen Z, with pre-pandemic data showing over half of leisure time was spent on screens, mostly watching TV or videos. Since the pandemic, this screen time has only increased. The core question is whether this usage is problematic or beneficial depending on the context.
Smartphone Use Patterns and Addiction
Copied to clipboard!
(00:03:56)
  • Key Takeaway: Older adults primarily use smartphones for practical purposes like news consumption, though WhatsApp overuse is frequently noted for its connection benefits.
  • Summary: Smartphone ownership is rising rapidly among older adults, but usage patterns differ from younger groups, focusing less on visual social media. A study from China suggested smartphone addiction results from failing cognition and family alienation, implying social factors drive technology use. The brain’s response to screens is driven by dopamine, the reward neurochemical, which creates quick hits of excitement or gratification.
Beneficial Technology Use Cases
Copied to clipboard!
(00:09:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Rideshare services and virtual reality are examples of technology providing significant functional and therapeutic advantages for the elderly.
  • Summary: Rideshare services like Uber or Lyft grant independence to older adults who can no longer safely drive, allowing them to maintain social connections and run errands. Virtual reality is an underutilized tool, successfully used in therapy to help a patient revisit and process memories related to her childhood home and father’s business. These examples show technology can directly address needs related to mobility and mental health processing.
Philosophy of Geriatric Care
Copied to clipboard!
(00:12:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Geriatric care requires individualized assessment, recognizing that aging is the goal of medicine, not a problem to be cured.
  • Summary: The art of geriatric psychiatry involves determining what each individual needs, which might be medication, psychotherapy, or simply connection and listening. Aging should not be feared as a challenge since longevity is the goal of medical advancement. Furthermore, the elderly should not be treated as a monolithic entity, as someone in their early 60s differs significantly from someone in their late 80s.