As digital products evolve rapidly, older adults are increasingly excluded by interfaces that assume baseline digital literacy. This case study explores why users aged 60+ experience higher cognitive load when interacting with everyday digital platforms and how design decisions unintentionally widen the grey digital divide.

Grounded in empathy‑driven, evidence‑based research, this study investigates emotional, cognitive, and trust‑related barriers that prevent older users from confidently engaging with digital systems—and translates those insights into actionable design recommendations.