bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Yujie Xue

This is the tenth in a series of stories about China’s once-a-decade census, which was conducted in 2020. The world’s most populous nation released its national demographic data on Tuesday, and the figures will have far-reaching social policy and economic implications.
It wasn’t until he went on his first post-pandemic holiday that 65-year-old Guo Zhichao actually thought of himself as old.
“I used to travel when I was young, but after that trip, I’m intimidated by travel for the first time in my life,” said Guo, recalling the embarrassment he and his wife endured when they had to ask strangers to help them call a car on their mobile phone, order food at a restaurant with a QR code or book tickets to a tourist attraction via a WeChat mini programme.
Guo, far from an outlier, provides a glimpse of the many difficulties China’s elderly face as the country simultaneously ages and digitises at an equally fast pace.


Last week, China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released their findings from the country’s once-in-a-decade population census.
People in the age group of 15 to 59 years old dropped to 63.35 per cent of China’s total population of 1.412 billion in 2020. While people in the age group of 60 and over rose to account for 18.70 per cent.
“The ageing of the population has further deepened, and in the coming period [China will] continue to face pressure for long-term, balanced development of the population,” Ning Jizhe, NBS commissioner, said at a press conference during the release.
As the proportion of China’s elderly grows, however, they are feeling left behind by the country’s rapid adoption of digital technologies, accelerated by the unprecedented speed and scale of the Covid-19 pandemic.
By the end of last year, China’s internet population jumped to 989 million people, an almost 10 per cent increase from March 2020, according to a report from the China internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC), as ride-hailing, fresh food delivery, and QR code-based “health codes” saw increased use.
People aged 60 accounted for 11.2 per cent of the total internet population, according to the same report, a big jump from the 6.3 per cent in March 2020.
However, as local headlines continue to highlight the digital generation gap with news of the elderly unable to access basic services at banks, hospitals, and public transport due to a lack of smartphone literacy, policymakers have begun to focus on addressing the widening gap between digital natives and the elderly.

In November, the State Council, the executive branch of China’s central government, announced it would launch specific policies to help its senior citizens catch up with its booming digital economy – in particular, to help the elderly make better use of smart technology to access medical treatment, recreational activities and public services.
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) also published guidelines last month asking web pages and mobile apps to carry out “elderly friendliness modifications” before the end of September, which included bigger and adjustable text sizes, text-to-speech, as well as a ban on plug-in ad links or floating ads.
Responding to Beijing’s call, and recognising the enormous financial potential the elderly market represents, some of China’s major consumer-facing tech firms have already been developing products aimed at senior users, a market which was estimated to be worth 3.79 trillion yuan in 2020, according to estimates by the China National Committee on ageing in 2019.
China’s future remains bright regardless of shrinking population fears
Taobao, a shopping platform of tech giant Alibaba Group Holding, the owner of the South China Morning Post, launched what it calls the “family accounts‘’ in 2018, allowing young users to help their parents pay for the items in their shopping trolleys. Alibaba also introduced online and offline education, live streaming courses, and special customer services to help teach elderly users how to shop online.
Didi Chuxing, China’s largest ride-hailing services platform, also launched elderly-friendly functions as early as 2016, enabling elderly users to issue one-click orders with up to five preset, regularly used addresses. There are also options of enlarged font display and a simplified billing process.


Smartphone brands Huawei Technologies Co., Xiaomi Corp, and Oppo all have their own “senior mode” on their phones, which have larger icons, larger text sizes, and screen-reading tools that make the phone easier for the elderly to use.
However, current efforts made by the internet giants still fall short of solving the wider social problem.
“Most senior users are not familiar with even the basic steps of using a smart device in the first place due to lack of instructions,” said Huang Zhaoqi, an analyst from investment research firm EqualOcean, adding that senior users, as digital immigrants, have limited ability to learn new technologies and products as fast as younger users.
In addition, the current market lacks enough smart devices designed for elderly users - projected to reach 480 million by 2050 - to meet their complex and diverse daily life needs, added Huang.
China faces ‘tricky’ reforms to unleash new growth as population ages
“There’s a need for companionship and entertainment programmes, as well as medical services, online shopping and voice-assisted technology,” Huang said.
But rather than teaching the elderly to use smart technologies to bridge the digital divide, enterprises and regulators should also leave open an option for those who are unwilling and incapable of integrating into the digital world, he added.
The mobile phone that 85-year-old retiree Li Hongwen’s son bought for her does not have a camera capable of scanning QR codes. Street vendors balk, she said, when she tries to buy things with cash.
“I don’t know how many years I have left. Why waste that money on buying a new phone?” Li said.


Digital generation gap: As China’s elderly population grows, so too does the need to bridge the digital divide

A student volunteer from Beijing Foreign Studies University teaches as a senior resident learns how to use a health-tracking app, introduced amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Photo: Xinhua

China's shrinking and ageing workforce. SCMP Graphics

Tech

Tech Trends

Economy

China Economy

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China


China’s population over 60 years of age continues to grow, accounting for almost 20 per cent of the total population in 2020
Most senior citizens lack the digital literacy required to access basic services at banks, hospitals, and public transport



China’s elderly population continues to grow, but the digital natives shaping the future seem to have forgotten about them.


Digital generation gap: As China’s elderly population grows, so too does the need to bridge the digital divide

China’s population over 60 years of age continues to grow, accounting for almost 20 per cent of the total population in 2020 Most senior citizens lack the digital literacy required to access basic services at banks, hospitals, and public transport

China’s population over 60 years of age continues to grow, accounting for almost 20 per cent of the total population in 2020

Most senior citizens lack the digital literacy required to access basic services at banks, hospitals, and public transport