Market scope note: This article covers information from both Korea and the United States. Each item is labeled 🇰🇷 Korea or 🇺🇸 U.S. in the text to indicate which country it applies to.
Hospitals that accept appointments only through an app, local governments that process welfare benefits only online, specialists who are reachable only via telehealth. As digital technology has moved into every corner of daily life, older adults who struggle with the internet are finding that their access to care itself is shrinking. If you cannot always be by your parents' side as their child, helping them navigate the digital world on their own may be the single most important preventive step you can take.
🇰🇷 Korea According to the Ministry of Science and ICT's 2023 Survey on the Digital Divide, older adults (aged 50 and above) score at roughly 70.7% of the general population's level of digital literacy. The Ministry of Health and Welfare's 2023 Survey on the Elderly found that while 76.6% of adults aged 65 and older own a smartphone, only 68.1% actually use one — revealing a significant gap between ownership and practical use. Even when a device is in hand, the real question is whether it can be used.
🇺🇸 U.S. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, only 14% of adults aged 65 and older said they use the internet almost constantly, a striking contrast with the 63% of 18-to-29-year-olds who said the same. Other analyses show that 1 in 4 adults aged 65 and older does not use the internet at all, and more than 35% do not have home broadband.
🇰🇷 Korea To narrow this gap, the government operates the 디지털배움터 (Digital Learning Center) program, administered by 한국지능정보사회진흥원 (NIA, Korea Intelligence Information Society Agency). The program is expanding its network of locations beyond community centers, libraries, and welfare centers to include senior welfare centers and senior clubs. Practical, everyday curricula are offered — topics such as using apps for transportation, getting started with ChatGPT, and communicating on KakaoTalk. The Ministry of Science and ICT is also running a separate digital literacy technology development initiative, investing 36.75 billion won over five years from 2025 through 2029 to strengthen digital capabilities among digitally vulnerable populations, including older adults. Additionally, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and 한국건강증진개발원 (Korea Health Promotion Institute) are providing remote health management services for adults aged 65 and older through AI- and IoT-based smart devices and apps, connecting digital education directly with health care.
🇺🇸 U.S. Public-private partnerships are a defining feature of the U.S. approach. The NCOA (National Council on Aging) is distributing digital literacy education grants of $4,500 to $9,000 to senior centers and community organizations with support from AT&T; this program runs through June 2026. AARP is also supporting digital skills education at 750 organizations nationwide through its 2026 Community Challenge Grant. Notably, the Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) in Seattle received $15,000 to expand digital literacy classes for adults aged 50 and older, including immigrants, refugees, and English learners — a program that older adults in Korean-American immigrant families can use directly.
Experts in both Korea and the United States point to the limitations of one-time training. Research from the 한국보건사회연구원 (Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs) emphasizes that most digital education programs end before older adults have had enough time to build real digital experience, and that sustained monitoring and support systems are essential for lasting results. For family caregivers as well, enrolling a parent in a program once is only a starting point — what matters just as much is building in regular time to practice together, so that the skills learned can be reinforced through everyday use.
Sources: Ministry of Science and ICT 2023 Survey on the Digital Divide; Ministry of Health and Welfare 2023 Survey on the Elderly; 한국지능정보사회진흥원 (NIA) 디지털배움터 program guide; Ministry of Science and ICT Digital Literacy Technology Development Initiative (KISTI report); Pew Research Center 2025 Digital Divide Survey (released January 8, 2026); NCOA–AT&T Digital Literacy Funding Program; AARP 2026 Community Challenge Grant (as reported by Northwest Asian Weekly and announced by Meridian Senior Center); LeadingAge and OATS Senior Planet (Net Inclusion 2026).
Note: This article was compiled by AI from the sources cited above. We strive for accuracy, but for decisions about your specific situation, please confirm the latest guidance from a professional or the relevant agency.