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Gen Z certainly grabs the spotlight in both media and marketing. Search “Gen Z” on any search engine and a flood of articles on the generation is likely to populate. While they’re a key demographic, it’s important not to overlook the 55+ crowd, who likely hold significantly more spending power. Americans 55+ also feel optimistic about their income prospects in 2025, and brands that ignore them risk missing out on valuable opportunities.

With this in mind, CivicScience took a deep dive into how older Americans are using technology today. Who is really driving certain tech trends? New CivicScience data suggests that growth in certain tech sectors may actually be driven by the 55+ crowd. Here’s a look at what new CivicScience data has to say in regard to four noteworthy areas where older Americans are embracing technology: 

1. Americans 55 and above are increasingly turning to mobile devices to manage… and spend their money.

Mobile devices have become essential in daily life, offering apps and functions that can make tasks quicker and easier. Banking is one such task. The latest CivicScience data show as much as three in four Americans do at least some of their banking via a mobile device. This percentage has increased by eight points since 2021 but has so far held steady into 2025. This growth may not be surprising, given heavier reliance on mobile devices overall, but the increase is even more pronounced among those 55 and older, with 64% now banking via mobile – an increase of 13 points over the last four years.

Banking isn’t the only way Americans 55 and up are leveraging their smartphones – they’re also increasingly using them to shop. Additional data find that a growing majority of smartphone owners aged 55 and older (59%) report making at least one purchase on their device each year, up from 45% in 2021. Notably among them, 23% say they make purchases via smartphone 12 or more times annually, an increase of eight percentage points from 2021.


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2. Usage of ChatGPT among Americans 55+ nearly doubled from 2023 to 2024. 

AI has been one of the “it” trends of the past couple of years, thanks in part to the emergence of models like ChatGPT. While the future of the industry appears cloudy with the arrival of DeepSeek AI, it’s clear that the 55+-year-old American is taking an interest in ChatGPT – 11% of those aware of the AI model said they used ChatGPT in 2024 (up from 6% in 2023), and another 10% were interested in trying it. 

3. Roku and Amazon Fire TV are among the benefactors of growing streaming device usage.

A piece of tech that you’re increasingly likely to find in the home of the 55+ American? A streaming device. Smart TVs make for the clear, yet unsurprising, leader in streaming devices as non-smart TVs become rarer. While other streaming devices lag significantly, Roku has seen a notable four-point increase since 2021, alongside two-point gains for Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV.

4. How to reach the 55+ consumer is also evolving in the digital world.

Back in 2022, Americans 55+ were evenly split on whether they used video (online, social media, etc.) to learn more about products or make purchase decisions. By the end of 2024, the percentage who said they were utilizing videos for product research jumped five points to 55% (excluding does not apply).

But it’s not just using video for product research that’s gaining prominence. Digital advertising also appears to resonate with this age group as well. In 2021, 44% of Americans 55+ reported being at least ‘somewhat’ likely to click on digital advertisements relevant to their interests. That percentage spiked to 52% by the end of 2024. 


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From mobile banking and shopping to AI-powered tools and streaming devices, this demographic is not just keeping up but actively shaping key tech trends. Even how to reach them is evolving. With their significant spending power and rising digital engagement, brands that overlook the 55+ consumer are potentially missing out on a market that is both willing and able to invest in the latest innovations. The brands that recognize and cater to this shift stand to gain a loyal and financially stable customer base in the year ahead.