82% of U.K. 5-Year-Olds Use an Internet Device, While 70% of Pensioners Don’t

[Commentary] We’ve got two interesting snippets of data about technology adoption by age. The most stunning — and one that shows the profound impact that the Internet is having — is that 82% of 5-year-olds in the U.K. already own or use an Internet-enabled device. At the other end of the age spectrum, research by U.K. think-tank Policy Exchange shows that seven out of 10 U.K. citizens over the age of 65 do not have an online device at home; 5.4 million have never used the Internet; and only one in 20 owns a smartphone. Such a vast disparity in technology adoption raises some questions about societal consequences. If 4 out of 5 children are using the Internet before they go to school, then why is their curriculum based on paper? And if only 30% of pensioners have access to a computer at home, e-government ambitions face serious challenges.