Screenagers have something to teach Grandma
Older adults are increasingly becoming addicted to screens, mirroring behaviors once associated with younger generations. This trend is leading to serious financial and safety consequences, including falling victim to AI-driven scams. While younger people are beginning to reject excessive screen use, seniors are at greater risk due to lower digital literacy and isolation.
- ▪Seniors are becoming more susceptible to online scams involving AI-generated personas, such as the fake MAGA influencer Emily Hart and the fictitious US Army service member Jessica Foster.
- ▪Abigail, a 66-year-old woman, lost her life savings of $81,000 to an AI-powered romance scam impersonating actor Steve Burton.
- ▪76-year-old Thongbue Wongbandue died after traveling to meet an AI-generated woman he met online.
- ▪Attorney Steve Cohen warns that older Americans are more likely to fall for scams and lose more money than younger people.
- ▪Tech writer Charlie Warzul has coined the term 'Phone-Based Retirement' to describe the growing trend of seniors spending excessive time on devices.
- ▪Younger generations are increasingly rejecting screen overuse by adopting analog hobbies and encouraging each other to 'touch grass.'
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Karol Markowicz Opinion Screenagers have something to teach Grandma By Karol Markowicz Published May 2, 2026, 11:28 a.m. ET The zombies are everywhere. They’re staring at their phones as they carelessly cross the road. They’re constantly watching videos, sound-on and loudly, on airplanes or in store check-out lines. And they’re not Gen Z screenagers — now, the kids’ aging grandparents are quickly becoming the biggest screen addicts of all. You can see it in their glazed-over eyes, distracted driving and the worst sin of all, ignoring the grandkids. Even more concerning, though, are the worsening financial and safety repercussions to seniors’ excessive phone time.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Opinion – Latest Op-Eds & News Commentary | New York Post.
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