A new survey shows that grandparents don’t want knitwear this holiday season, they want technology gifts like tablets that help them get online and keep in touch with their families.

Traditional gifts, like sweaters, socks and even books, will fail to raise a smile with the older generation this holiday season.

According to a survey of over 2000 adults conducted by YouGov for online security firm Kaspersky Lab, only 3 percent of the over-55 crowd would like socks this year and 5 percent a knit pullover, while a staggering 41 percent are holding out for a smartphone, tablet or laptop.

This is in stark contrast to the younger, traditionally tech-savvy generation who would be happy with knitwear 14 percent of UK 18-to-24-year-olds said they would like a sweater and 21 percent said they’d be happy to receive socks.

The same is true of books, although 26 percent of those 55 and over said they’d like a good read this holiday season, 36 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds and 35 percent of 25-to-34-year-olds have put a literary title on this year’s wishlist.

The latest global technology report from Ofcom, the UK media regulator, published on December 13, shows that the UK has overtaken Japan to become the world leader in online shopping, mobile internet and online TV and is ahead of current trends for the adoption of new technologies.

And as these technologies become more widespread and easy to use, they are increasingly being adopted by older generations. Tablets and smartphones in particular are seen as simple ways of getting online, using social media and keeping in contact with the younger, high-tech generations of their families.

“The whole nation is becoming increasingly reliant on technology. Gone are the days when technology was aimed solely at younger people, it is no longer age dependent,” said David Emm, senior security researcher at Kaspersky Lab.

AFP-Relax News

http://www.thenewage.co.za/75198-1021-53-