Psychology says the quiet withdrawal older adults show around new technology isn't disinterest - it's the same protective response humans use when they feel they've lost social standing - Silicon Canals

"My dad is 67 and sharp as anyone I know. He ran a small business for 30 years, managed payroll by hand before software existed for it, and can tell you the exact markup on every product he ever stocked. So when I watched him go completely still the last time I tried to show him how to use a QR code at a restaurant, I knew something deeper was happening than "old guy doesn't get technology.""

"That withdrawal isn't disinterest. It's protection. The status threat hiding inside a smartphone tutorial Here's the thing: humans are wired to monitor their social standing constantly. It's not vanity - it's survival architecture. Evolutionary psychologists have documented this extensively. Our brains track where we sit in any social hierarchy, and when we sense a drop, we respond with one of a few predictable behaviors: aggression, avoidance, or withdrawal."

Older adults sometimes withdraw when faced with new technology because they perceive a threat to social standing rather than from inability. Humans constantly monitor social status, and perceived loss triggers physiological stress responses such as elevated cortisol and increased inflammation. Typical behavioral responses to status threat include aggression, avoidance, or withdrawal. Protective withdrawal reduces exposure to situations judged socially dangerous and can look like silence or disengagement during technology demonstrations. Research linking status loss to stress and disengagement explains why elders may retreat when younger people effortlessly use multiple apps or when being instructed on contactless payments.

Read at Silicon Canals