“This phone is stupid and it drives me crazy!” “I don’t understand it, why does it have to be so complicated?” or “Why do I need this? I’m 60 years old. Do I really need to learn all this now? I’m happier without it”. Sounds familiar? These are a few sentiments shared by Seniors when nudged to learn the basics of going digital.
And then you have Seniors who are eager to learn but don’t know where to begin, most of the time having their enthusiasm and spirits dampened by not knowing how to go about a certain simple command on their phone.
Sounds familiar? With children being busy balancing work and life, Seniors end up finding themselves all alone to ‘figure it out’. The digital world can be easily overwhelming - be it smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers, the internet or social media - you are surround by it. So we at The Silver Surfers Club say embrace it and use it to your advantage.
As Founder of The Silver Surfers Club I’ve had the opportunity to work very closely with Seniors for over 5 years now, giving me the time I really needed to understand the needs of this community, the levels of initiative and enthusiasm as well as the eagerness our Senior community has, to catch up with technology. What I learned may surprise you - Seniors do not want to be left out of this digital era. Their massive presence on Facebook and the avid use of WhatsApp is a clear indicator of it. While Seniors definitely want in, it is important to understand that a little patience, understanding, and help from the community - be it friends or family - is all it takes to help them get on board.
You’d be surprised to know that members of The Silver Surfers Club in their 70’s who began with “Where do I find Google Search?” and “How do I send an Email?” are now at “Hey can we Paytm you for the next workshop?” Or “What time is our next Zoom session!” - Using the apps like youtube and Pinterest to research their favorite topics and in general using digitization to their advantage.
Digital Literacy in Seniors is the need of the hour today. It no longer is an option, it is a need. In the midst of a pandemic today, it also is the single differentiator between Seniors and youngsters staying comfortable while under quarantine at home. Digitization has the potential to empower seniors, especially those living alone, to continue staying independent. From the many on demand services that delivers just about anything to one’s doorstep, to paying bills and getting online banking done at the click of a button - the benefits are immense.
Here are a list of the top 9 reasons why Seniors struggle with technology:
Big gap in technology
Lack of perceived benefit or need
Negative feelings about social media
Fear of the unknown
Fear about Internet safety
Smart Phone Anxiety
Tricking memory
Short Attention Span
Rushing
Affected Vision
10 Barriers Seniors May Encounter and Simple Solutions to Overcome Them
1. Big gap in technology
Digitization happened to Seniors when they weren’t looking, and has advanced at lightening speed, making it difficult to keep up. Life now is way different than from older adults are used to. They didn’t grow up with a smartphone in hand. Computers were big, phones had wires, cars used gas and to watch a movie you would go to the cinema. The gap from the reality that older adults are used to and the reality today is huge and it becomes bigger every day.
2. Lack of perceived benefit or need
Some older adults who aren’t comfortable with technology believe that they are better off without it. However, that isn’t the case at all. It is extremely important for Seniors to understand just how beneficial being digitally independent can impact one’s quality of life, especially in terms of the assistance, conveniences and a sense of community it can offer as one grows older. It is only once Seniors understand this will they be motivated to learn.
3. Negative feelings about social media
Seniors who dislike Social Media and social networking do in part because they fear it will have a negative effect on their face-to-face social interactions. And understandably so, as it can be frustrating to suddenly witness communication modes change drastically from phone calls and personal visits to emails, WhatsApp and Skype.
Research however states that seniors who do venture into social networking have reported benefits in terms of social connectedness and increased interactions. These Seniors now enjoy Skype, Facetime or Zoom sessions with their grandchildren, rather than waiting for the eventual phone call (Gatto & Tak, 2008).
4. Fear of the unknown
As humans, we have been always afraid of the unknown. Being afraid is part of our DNA and the best way to get over it is so gather as much knowledge on the topic. Take for instance Social Media - it’s important for Seniors to understand what it means, why are 2.95 billion people on it today? Understanding the benefits and the positive impact it can make on one’s life - especially in older adults, is sure to help seniors get over this apprehension.
5. Fear about Internet safety
While it takes me less than 30 seconds to make a money transfer online or withdraw money at the nearest ATM, banking for my mother is a whole different ordeal which begins 24 hours earlier. It starts with booking a driver. God forbid the driver decides to cancel! It then means driving down to the bank, filling a “challan”, standing in queue and then handing it over to the teller to make the transfer or withdraw money.
Why do they go through this whole ordeal, when a simple task like this could be finished in less than a minute - leaving them with more time to do other things? It’s because some seniors may be afraid of putting any personal information on a smart phone or computer and won’t want to learn computer skills until they feel safe going online (Fausset, Harley, Farmer & Fain, 2013). This can be addressed early on by talking about and teaching Seniors Internet Safety. Best practices, such as creating strong passwords, adjusting privacy settings, and not posting personal information such as physical address or vacation dates in social media.
6. Anxiety
Many older adults feel like one wrong move can completely damage their phones or tabs, making them extremely hesitant to play around or explore their devices. This anxiety tends to make it difficult to learn the necessary skills. It is important for Seniors to understanding that the operating systems and the keys and commands that their devices run on are simple and most instructions are reversible. Once they feel comfortable messing around with their devices, they will definitely become more confident about using it.
7. Tricking memory
Did you know learning something new helps keep a senior’s memory fresh and agile. The same holds true with learning new technology.
Ask our members at The Silver Surfers Club and they will share with you how truly exciting and empowering it was to get on to Zoom, to learn a new skill and connect despite social distancing in this pandemic.
A huge drawback of aging is memory loss, and not using technology often makes one forget what they learnt. The good news however is that the memory needs some exercise too, and technology offers the perfect stimulation.
8. Short Attention Span
This is something that affects anyone having a difficult time learning something new that they aren’t really excited about and I’ve had personal experience with my own mother time and time again. This lack of focus makes it even more difficult for seniors to adapt to new gadgets.
The trick here however is to first teach Seniors an aspect of technology where they experience instant gratification. Instant rewards are a huge encouragement and say for instance, shopping on Amazon or booking a driver on uber - where they experience a sudden real time convenience, should get them excited about trying it out.
9. Rushing
Rushing is one of the issues when the seniors get excited about some specific technology but they are not ready for a learning curve. For example I’m asked a simple question - “how do I go back to the previous page”. This excited rush doesn’t allow them to spend time exploring and learning the nuances of this new app they are spending time on. Not doing this also means that they tend not to realize that the answers to al their questions, sometimes along with How To videos and Frequently Asked Questions are generally available right on that screen
10. Affected Vision
Very common in older adults is that one’s vision tends to deteriorate with one in every three elders over age 65 experiencing some form of eye disease that impacts vision, like glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, among others. This doesn’t just make it difficult to be able to use technology it also affects one’s confidence.
However you will be happy to note that the gentle needs of seniors have been factored in right in the design stage for devices. A simple solution here is to increasing the font size on your phone or tab, and everything is practically magnified making it extremely comfortable to read in case you have difficulty in vision.
Conclusion
Seniors or Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964 are used to a whole different world where the used one single telephone with a wire for 40-50 years, watched the same TV with the same TV channels, social networking meant visiting people in their homes. Answers to questions were found in encyclopedia and there were no easy solutions. The elderly have a long relationship with simple things that are now replaced with new smart devices, each of these devices requires some learning process. It also is understandably hard to adapt something new when one is comfortable with old technology that still works.
With a keep up or be left out approach that digitization seems to have these days with new developments in technology happening practically everyday, Seniors tend to find themselves in a bit of a fix. But the sooner Seniors embrace the idea of going digital the sooner they will learn that these technological advances will help them stay relevant, connected and enjoying an enhanced quality of life.
What is your approach to technology today? What are your biggest fears.
The Silver Surfers Club is organizing a webinar to address this and many other important questions Seniors may have today at our Live Well Age Well Webinar on 6th June 2020 at 5pm. If you’d like to join in for this free session, do click through to our LIVE WELL AGE WELL Webinar here to register.