There seem to be two distinct groups when it comes to senior users in the computer world. There are those baby boomers who love learning all the newest technology available to them and then there is the group that just doesn’t want to learn anything new at all. This second group usually consists of people who were not very good students in school, or had problems reading. Very few people understand that not being able to read or write proficiently can cause a great deal of anxiety for seniors who are too embarrassed to admit they may not read very well. Although this may seem like a minority of people with this problem, it might be a good idea to gently find out if this is one reason your older parent or friend may not want to learn how to use the internet. There are many classes in senior centers that might address this very issue.
Most seniors I know are thrilled to have access to this marvelous technology. If they have grown children or grandchildren, all the better as this can be their main source of learning the latest computer technologies that are available to them. If you type in “senior bloggers” on Google’s search engine it will show you how many seniors are blogging about every subject you can think of. Many seniors rely on the information they find online to help them with the many issues facing their modern lifestyles.
You can find seniors online blogging about the things that are of interest to them; specifically health, finances, living accommodations and even beauty and health blogs for women in their 60s through the 90’s and beyond. Senior matchmaking sites are incredibly popular with an aging population that has had divorce and other life events leave them single or living alone.
If you are trying to introduce your older friend or parent to the expansive world available to them through the internet and technology, you may want to show them some blogging sites written by their peers. Any interests they may have can be utilized to find a blogging site they can relate to. By piquing their interest, you will have a better chance of helping them understand the wonderful advantages of having so much knowledge and information at their fingertips.
One example of a senior blogger that they may find enjoyable is a blog from Olive Riley, a 107 year old native of Australia. She writes about her life in a way anyone would find interesting. You can Google her to find her site. By showing seniors all the different types of websites that can help them, entertain them and give them a new way to relate to the world, you are increasing the valuable contribution each senior has to make; mainly their experience and expertise in lives well lived. No amount of book knowledge can compare to someone who has lived and experienced life lessons and now has a means to pass them along to others.
I found that with my 85 year old mom, we had to get her gradually used to technology. We started off with a cellphone, a cheap Tracfone SVC which is made for seniors. Once she accepted that, we went on to a computer. She now keeps in touch with friends by e mailing. We made her a Facebook page, but Facebook does not work with that generation. The message is that seniors will embrace technology if you feed it to them slowly.