Turning the Generational Tech Divide Into an Opportunity: Takeaways for Leadership

The U.S. tax system is officially breaking up with checks and cash: as of October 1, 2025, all payments to and from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) must be made electronically according to a federal mandate.

This change may disproportionately impact members of our senior community. Around 42 percent of older adults lack access to reliable broadband internet, according to AARP, which could make sending or receiving electronic payments challenging. The research shows people with disabilities are also twice as likely to lack access, and people determined to be in poor health are more than four times as likely to be offline as the rest of the population. The Treasury Department-appointed National Taxpayer Advocate has underscored the importance of an equitable and flexible rollout of the IRS electronic payment mandate.  This stance underscores the importance of prioritizing resident inclusion alongside modernization.

When implementing tech updates, it’s essential to consider all members of your community, especially those who are hard to reach, so that people don’t feel disconnected. People of different ages will experience major government tech transitions — such as switching to electronic payment processing — differently, but these experiences don’t have to divide us. Now more than ever, government leaders have the opportunity to use these moments to bridge the existing generational tech divide and make government more accessible for everyone.

Understand Why Residents Engage and Take a Phased Approach

Before implementing a tech transition, survey and talk with residents in various age groups about how they like to engage with their government, and why.  It’s important to understand their reasons. For example, a town might want to go completely virtual for town halls, but many residents still enjoy coming into town hall and attending meetings in person. Face-to-face interactions are part of their routines and social lives. Instead of viewing these residents as behind the times, perhaps we can consider them as leaders in preserving the interpersonal aspects of civic engagement that could be lost in the push for a contactless society. Remember that in-person events and engagements can happen alongside digital modernizations. Rather than an all-or-nothing switch, it’s better to take a phased approach.

Prioritize Accessibility

Accessibility is key to bridging the generational tech divide. That’s because, by designing and maintaining your website, apps and documents with the federal ADA accessibility mandates in mind, you’ll likely create experiences that boost resident satisfaction more broadly, not just among seniors and people with disabilities. Create community user groups to test your website and apps with residents who have low or no vision, rely on screen readers or cannot use a mouse. Prioritizing ADA accessibility is about more than compliance — it goes a long way toward building trust, according to our recent research.

Engage Across Diverse Channels

From your website to mobile apps and text messages, engaging across channels can help you reach residents of all ages. Not everyone has access to the internet or even a desktop computer at home, but about 91% of Americans own a smartphone, according to Pew, and 96% of U.S. adults had internet access in 2024, according to Statista. Those cellphones and internet access mean you can deliver critical information directly to residents at the right place and time to save lives. According to our research, 78% of residents surveyed said they support tax dollars being spent on software that can help streamline communication, such as mass notification systems.

Designing Technology Transitions for All

By understanding the reasons residents engage the way they do, taking a phased approach to rollouts, prioritizing accessibility, and engaging across channels, government leaders can evolve their services without excluding any age group. Every update is an opportunity to strengthen trust and connection across generations.

Brenden Elwood is Vice President of Market Research at CivicPlus. He oversees the company’s resident and local government research and focuses on providing actionable insights and data to enhance resident and community engagement using accessible digital solutions. In addition, Brenden serves on the City Council of North Bend, Washington.

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash