Screenagers to Silver Surfers: How each generation clicks with care

From Super Bowl ads to new Airpod features, digital health is now front and center to consumers. More than half (58%) of Americans used virtual care in the past year, though that’s dipped slightly (5 percentage points) from 2023. Wearables and connected devices? Fifty-three percent of consumers own at least one, and 54% track at least one health metric digitally.

However, it turns out how people engage with health tech depends a lot on their age cohort. From Gen Z to the Silent Generation, generations of Americans are using digital health in their own unique ways. For companies trying to engage across generations, differentiating between their habits and preferences is key.

So, how does each generation of Americans actually use digital health? To find out, we dug into Rock Health’s 10th (!) Consumer Adoption of Digital Health Survey (the “Survey”), capturing insights from over 8,000 U.S. Census-matched adults in 2024.¹ Our data reveals key generational trends in virtual care use, wearable adoption, and sentiment toward healthcare players.² Let’s break it down.

Gen Z (ages 18-24): Wellness Explorers

The youngest generation, Gen Zers grew up amidst major healthcare shake-ups, and they’re wary of traditional healthcare players. Nearly 10% distrust³ health information from providers (a whopping 9x higher rate than the Silent Generation). They’re the least willing generation to share health data, especially with providers and insurers; 17% don’t want to share their health data with any stakeholder.⁴

That said, Gen Zers are deeply curious about their health and wellness, and these digital natives are using pathways like texting and AI to explore it. Sixty percent of Gen Zers used virtual care in the past 12 months, and one-third accessed it via texting—the highest of any generation (and clearly second nature). Specifically for mental healthcare—a top generational need—11% accessed virtual mental healthcare via texting, app, or website-based messaging, the same percentage as those who got this care over the phone or live video. Gen Z is also the top generation using AI for health questions, with 29% using AI tools like ChatGPT for healthcare needs like “diagnosing” their conditions (18%) and exploring treatment options (16%).

Even with hesitancy toward legacy healthcare, Gen Z sees wellness as a big priority. They’re growing up in the age of TikTok wellness (#FitTok) and celebrity-launched wellness trends, so it makes sense that they’re using digital and consumer-centric solutions to understand their health. Sixty percent own a smartwatch or connected device. Most (64%) track at least one health metric digitally, and they’re most commonly tracking metrics like menstruation (36% among those who menstruate), weight (23%), and physical activity (20%). Gen Zers are the top tryers of at-home tests to optimize wellness, from gut biome health (7%) to hormone levels (6%, tied with Millennials).

Millennials (ages 25-44): Digital Devotees

Millennials came into their own during the great startup revolution. They’ve seen industries like finance and retail disrupted by digital businesses, and many digital brands were designed with them in mind (Casper and Warby Parker, anyone?)—so we’re not surprised they’re digital health power users. Sixty-eight percent used virtual care in the past year, ten percentage points higher than the survey average.

Millennials represent what most people think of when they imagine the standard digital health consumer. They connect with their providers via phone calls (49%), through apps, websites, text (45%), or live video (44%), and they use virtual care most often for primary care (29%), mental healthcare (25%), and general wellness (24%). They surpass every other generation in terms of owning a wearable or connected device (66%), and they’re the top owners of smartwatches (44%) and smart rings (10%). They’ve even purchased devices like smart scales (15%), connected blood pressure cuffs (13%), and continuous glucose monitors (9%) at a higher rate than older generations—who have more medical conditions to track. Eleven percent have used services like at-home fertility testing during their family-building years.

Millennials are less tied to regular, long-term provider relationships, bucking the norm of older generations. With less frequent connections to a core provider, they may see less upside in sharing their data, especially if providers aren’t monitoring it over time. Overall, only half trust providers with their health data. But they’re more engaged with tech—making them the most willing generation to trust tech companies with their data (though that number is still just 9%).

Gen X (ages 45-64): Virtual Pragmatists

Gen Xers aren’t digitally native like Millennials. Sandwiched between raising kids and caring for aging parents (and juggling work in between), they use digital health on their terms and when they think it will make their lives easier. Their top reason for using virtual care? Shorter wait times (28% of virtual care users). Overall, their virtual care use is slightly below average (by 4pp) but lags far behind Millennials (by 14pp).

Unlike younger generations, Gen Xers still hold relationships with their healthcare providers and follow their lead—when a provider suggests virtual care, they’re in. Over 70% of those who access virtual care do so through their provider, and 71% are comfortable sharing health data with providers (21pp higher than Millennials). But for some, digital still can’t replace in-person care. Gen X is the top generation to prefer in-person visits, with 8% avoiding virtual care altogether for that reason.

Gen X is facing big health shifts, especially as health needs like heart disease, diabetes, and menopause ramp up. They’re paying attention and tracking their health, but not always digitally. Compared to Millennials, 10 percentage points more Gen Xers record medical metrics like medications and blood pressure, but nearly half still track the analog way (i.e., in their heads or via a paper journal), compared to just one in four Millennials.

Part of the gap comes down to device ownership. Only half own a wearable or connected device, 16pp lower than Millennials. Those that own devices do use them for digital tracking (79% of Gen X device owners track at least one health metric digitally), but they’re less eager to invest in further tracking tools.

Baby Boomers (ages 65-74): Medical Managers

The second-largest generation behind Millennials, all Baby Boomers are now eligible for Medicare. While the Medicare crowd may not be digital natives, Boomers are rewriting the story (see: iPad parents and Apple lovers). Nearly half (48%) used virtual care in the past year, and 36% own a smartwatch or connected device.

Medication management is clearly top-of-mind for Baby Boomers. The majority (87%) take at least one prescription medication, while almost half (47%) are on more than four prescriptions. Many Boomers are turning to tracking, with most (55%) tracking their medications and 47% tracking their blood pressure (a metric impacted by many medications), though this tracking is rarely digital. A majority (52%) have also opted to have their medications delivered to their doors.

As Boomers juggle their healthcare, they’re navigating a web of providers, pharmacists, and health systems—and they’re counting on good connections between them. As a result, they’re generally open to sharing data, with 93% (4pp above average) willing to share with at least one of the stakeholders we asked about. But trust has its limits: nearly half are unwilling to share with insurers, a concern that Medicare Advantage plans will want to consider.

The Silent Generation (age 75+): Care Collaborators

True to their name, the Silent Generation is often left out of generational conversations, but they’re a unique segment within digital health. Silent Generation consumers have to manage complex care across multiple providers—often with frequent help from caregivers—so they have a lot to track. Accordingly, they do track more than any other generation (88% track at least one health metric digitally or in an analog fashion), and they’re the top trackers of key medical metrics like weight, blood pressure, and heart rate. Despite growing up in a fully analog world, 35% track at least one health metric digitally.

Over 2 in 5 (41%) members of the Silent Generation used virtual care in the past 12 months, only 7pp lower than Boomers. While some are wary of virtual care—11% of Silent Generation consumers haven’t tried virtual care because they were uncomfortable or found it too confusing—others are testing new modalities. Almost as many Silent Gen virtual care users connected via an app, text messaging, or a website (23%) as did through a phone call with their clinician (24%).

As we’ve seen, trust in legacy healthcare players like providers and pharmacists grows by age. The Silent Generation readily shares their data, likely expecting providers to use it to coordinate and improve their care. Seventy-six percent “completely trust” the information they receive from their clinicians, and 90% are willing to share their own health data in return—but that trust stops at tech companies (97% are unwilling to share their health data with tech). This shows that while they value digital tools that help their care teams stay connected, they hesitate to share their personal health data outside of these clear channels.

There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ in digital health

Consumers aren’t a monolith when it comes to digital health. Each generation engages with technology differently, shaped by their experiences, needs, and levels of trust in the healthcare system. At the same time, age is just one part of the story. For companies looking to drive adoption in digital health, meeting consumers where they are means designing with generational and individual preferences in mind. If you’re interested in a particular consumer segment and how they’re using digital health, reach out to explore more.

Tap into insights and strategic guidance from Consumer Adoption and beyond with Rock Health Advisory.

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Footnotes

1. Survey respondents (n=8,032) are Census-matched by gender, age, U.S. region, race/ethnicity, and annual household income. The Survey was administered from November 1, 2024 to December 3, 2024. Respondents used their personal desktop, laptop, smartphone, or tablet to complete the Survey in English.
2. Generational cohorts were created based on respondent age ranges. Respondents selected an age bracket from the following options: 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, or 75+. Each group reflects an approximate ‘best fit’ to common generational boundaries, which may not perfectly align with all definitions (e.g., we did not include consumers under the age of 18 in the Survey).
3. Response options included “completely trust,” “somewhat trust,” “neutral,” “somewhat distrust,” and “do not trust at all.” Distrust here refers to respondents who indicated “somewhat distrust” (4%) or “do not trust at all” (5%).
4. Stakeholder options included ‘a technology company,’ ‘a healthcare technology company,’ ‘my family members, ‘my health insurance company,’ ‘my pharmacy,’ ‘my healthcare provider (e.g., doctor, clinician),’ ‘my employer,’ ‘a research institution, ‘a government organization,’ ‘a pharmaceutical company.’