Seniors and Tech
For those with access to it, our reliance on technology has increased dramatically as a result of the pandemic and the shift to online services being offered. In the present survey, respondents were asked to report their level of comfort with accessing social media both before and during the pandemic. Figure 10 reveals that before the pandemic approximately 53% of survey respondents reported being “very comfortable” with accessing social media. Reporting their comfort with accessing social media during the pandemic (Figure 11) a slight increase can be seen, with 63% of respondents reporting that they were “very comfortable” with accessing social media during the pandemic.
Participants also reported which platform their churches chose to use to broadcast their services. Figure 12 gives the breakdown of social media platforms that the churches employed. Several churches used more than one option, but overall there was a slight preference in the use of Zoom. Facebook livestream was the next most commonly used option, with YouTube significantly less popular.
When asked specifically about their comfort with participating in online church services during the pandemic (Figure 13), 74% of respondents described that they were “very comfortable.” Only one participant reported feeling uncomfortable with participating in online services. These responses demonstrate the willingness and ability of both churches and parishioners to adapt under trying circumstances.