Solving an age-old problem

China's institutions are working to address the issue of technological marginalization among the elderly, Xu Haoyu reports.

The rapid development of internet and mobile technology has increasingly changed people's lives. For the majority, a smartphone brings convenience, but for many elderly people who don't master related skills, they are inevitably left behind.

The issue appears to have become particularly apparent during the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Jan 6, an elderly man who could not show his health code－a smartphone app that tracks people's movements to show their risk levels to COVID-19 infection－was not allowed to board a bus in Fushun city, Northeast China's Liaoning province. The topic triggered a heated public discussion on social media.