A popular conception is that older people are less likely to adopt new technologies than are younger people. The mechanism underlying this relationship is less well-known. I provide evidence on this question using data from the introduction of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC), a new medical technology with substantial health benefits in high HIV prevalence settings. I find limited support for several leading potential mechanisms such as previous investment in older substitute technologies, cohort differences in educational attainment, or various life-cycle changes (i.e. marriage, having ever had sex, coital frequency). I provide a model demonstrating that shorter time horizons and lower consumption values of life mechanically associated with ageing may cause lower VMMC adoption among older males and simulate the adoption-age profile under various parameter assumptions. I discuss implications for policymaking and future research.

一个流行的观念是，与年轻人相比，老年人不太可能采用新技术。这种关系的基础机制鲜为人知。我使用自愿性男性包皮环切术（VMMC）的引入数据提供了有关此问题的证据，该技术是在艾滋病毒高发地区具有重大健康益处的新医疗技术。我发现对几种领先的潜在机制的支持有限，例如先前对较旧替代技术的投资，同类人群在学历上的差异或各种生命周期的变化（即结婚，曾经有过性行为，性交频率）。我提供了一个模型，该模型表明，与衰老相关的较短时间跨度和较低的生命消耗值可能会导致年龄较大的男性降低VMMC收养率，并在各种参数假设下模拟收养年龄。我讨论了政策制定和未来研究的意义。