Baby Boomers can’t seem to put down their phones. Excessive screen time is typically associated with children watching cartoons, teenagers playing video games, or young adults scrolling through social media and using messaging apps. However, one particular age group is struggling to put their devices down: Baby Boomers, according to the results of a Pew Research Center study. Although baby boomers were introduced to smartphones later in their lives, their adoption of technology — including smartphones and tablets — has been steadily rising over the past decade. The share of Baby Boomers who use social media has also jumped some 19 percentage points, the study shows.

Tech adoption is all well and good, but families say Boomers’ smartphone use gets in the way of day-to-day life: In a survey of 100 millennials and Gen Xers in the US, the Washington Post found that half reported their parents spent “excessive” amounts of time on their phones, playing games or checking El Face, even while being in a social setting or with their families. Older adults may spend more time on their phones because they simply take longer to process what they’re seeing, or find what they’re looking for, said one tech-support company CEO. Boomers have also grown reliant on their phones and social media networks to maintain social connections, including with family members they don’t see on a regular basis.

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AI is now being used to keep people “around” after their passing: Tech platforms are investing in new services designed to preserve people’s bonds with loved ones after they pass away, including developing virtual representations of the deceased, the Washington Post reports. Amazon has already introduced its newest works for Alexa, which can “read aloud stories in a deceased person’s voice after only hearing a minute of their speech.” Similarly, many AI entrepreneurs are concentrating their efforts on creating visual representations of individuals — with avatars and chat bots linking the dead with their family members.

How helpful is this? A study from Sweden’s Stockholm University found that maintaining a relationship with a loved one after they have died can provide temporary solace, but it can also intensify grief and lead to someone wishing to remain in this virtual world of their loved ones. Although grief therapists sometimes encourage imaginary conversation with the deceased as a form of therapy, “with digital recreations of the dead, particularly in virtual reality, the experience would be more immersive,” the WaPo says.