Elderly are not stick-in-the-muds

Two senior citizens take a selfie with a mobile phone in Rizhao, Shandong province, May 28, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

THE LATEST RESEARCH ON ONLINE SHOPPING suggests that it is the elderly, frequently portrayed as not being internet-savvy, who comprise a larger-than-expected proportion of online shoppers. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Monday:

There are at least 30 million senior online shoppers on the e-commerce platform Taobao alone, and 75 percent of them are in their 50s, according to the report. During the past nine months, online shoppers aged 50 or above have each spent 5,000 yuan ($753) and purchased 44 items on average, said the report.

The findings counter the common stereotype that the elderly do not keep up with the times, since senior citizens have also developed the habit of online shopping and using third-party mobile payment services. They may be slow learners when it comes to electronic gadgets and internet-driven lifestyles, but that does not mean they don't know how to keep up with the times.

Online shopping, for example, is widely accepted as a way of life because it fulfills the demand of people for greater convenience, be they young or old.

The aged, as General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed in his report to the 19th CPC National Congress, deserve extra care, be it through favorable policies or medical treatment. The constant controversies triggered by square dancing, a popular outdoor socializing activity among Chinese retirees that often leads to excessive noise and abuse of public space, is evidence that the senior citizens' ever-changing needs for a better life are not being sufficiently met.