In this digital era, helping elderly with technology is crucial for helping them feel connected and relevant. Teaching them to navigate modern tech isn’t as challenging as it might seem; they often have more skills than we give them credit for. Around 59% of seniors in the 65 to 69 age group today own a smartphone, as do 49% in the 70 to 74 age group. And a smartphone, as you know, opens up the technological domain with a user-friendly approach. However, at the same time, their lack of technological knowledge sometimes makes them quite vulnerable to cyber fraud.
A report shows that around 23.6% of elderly adults of 65+ age get exposed to online fraud through spam links. Therefore, they need someone who can teach them to use technology safely. Wondering how to teach elderly to use technology from scratch? Here is a guide for your help.
How Can You Teach Elder Individuals to Use Technology?
With the rapid advancement of technology, the elders at your home can easily feel left out if you do not take active measures to keep them updated. You can start helping elderly with technology anytime, even if they have no prior knowledge of it. All you need is a smartphone, a little patience, and these helpful tips.
1. Begin With Explaining the Benefits
Your tech-teaching journey with your elderly parents, grandparents or relatives will be a hit if you start by explaining its benefits. Show them how the use of smart gadgets can ease their life. Show how they can use Facebook to see recent pictures of their close ones.
Let them know how with just a voice tap in their own native language they can get a list of cooking recipes, and political and sports news on Google and YouTube. Once they see such interesting things just a touch away, it will be much easier for you to teach.
2. Start Slow with Basic Concepts
It is always better to begin with basic concepts and build on existing knowledge. Start on a slow note explaining concepts with real events. Try to introduce a new technology always by comparing it with something that they already have some idea about.
For instance, if your father knows how to add basic filters in a photo in the built-in phone gallery, it will be easier for you to teach him to add filters on Instagram. Begin with a slow pace, as too much information at once can confuse and demotivate them.
3. Use Simple Words Avoiding Technical Jargon
You will have to use simple words while helping elderly with technology. Technological words like web browsers, portals, cookies, etc. can be difficult for them to understand in the beginning.
You can explain those terms in a simpler way like comparing the web browser with a library, where they can get any information upon searching. Explain web address by comparing it with street address. With your simple explanations, they will gradually get used to these basic technical terms.
4. Repeat Key Concepts
Repetition of your teachings from time to time is very important for retaining their technical knowledge. Adding up new information without reflecting on the previous ones will surely overwhelm your new senior learner.
Around 40% of seniors after 65 experience some sort of memory impairment, which means it will be harder for them to memorise your teachings if you do not repeat them frequently. Therefore, you can start with a brief recap of the previous lesson before starting the new one.
5. Write Down if Necessary
For helping elderly with technology, you will have to take the process that best suits them. You are teaching technology to the pen-paper generation. So, you cannot really move forward without using the pen and paper. Write down the steps to open a digital tool or a social media app.
Let your elderly student read and memorise it and then practice their knowledge. You will also have to encourage your senior student to write down complex terms, steps, and information. But also, do not forget to warn them against sharing important information like usernames and passwords to maintain confidentiality.
6. Ask Questions to Refresh Ideas
If you ask how to teach elderly to use technology more efficiently, we will say let them ask as many questions as they want. While learning new technical concepts in old age, tons of questions are bound to occur in their mind. Some of them can be silly and hilarious as well.
Provide answers without laughing at them as this may discourage them greatly. Your technology teaching classes with your elderly parents need to be interactive, with questions and answers from both ends. This will encourage the learner and provide ideas to you on where you need to spend some extra time.
7. Make Them Practice
Looking at your elderly parents struggling with navigating their smart device may allure you to take the matter into your own hands, but restrain yourself. This intervention of yours will eventually stretch their process of learning.
Instead, let them struggle, let them find out ways on their own by actively using digital tools and apps without your support. They will take time but with active and independent participation they will learn more profoundly. You can instruct them at times but always encourage them to click, tap or scroll on their own.
8. Acknowledge Their Confusion and Frustration
Your elderly student is learning a completely new concept so it is normal for them to have confusions. This confusion can easily frustrate them partly because of their old age and mostly because they have not been accustomed to such learning difficulties lately. Your smart parents have shown competency in almost all duties in their lives.
However, this new challenge of learning advanced technologies can confuse them. Acknowledge this while telling them that it is completely normal what they are feeling, and they will soon overcome these confusions.
9. Always Compliment to Boost Their Confidence
Always try to compliment the little technological advancements your elderly students show when you are teaching. Remember the time when your parents used to celebrate your little achievements to make you feel special? Now you will have to do the same thing. Your compliments will encourage them to move ahead in learning new concepts.
Your appreciation will boost their confidence and they will be able to accept new teachings more proficiently. So, praise them when they can make a video call or post on their social media without your support.
10. Direct Them for Using Free Tech Resources
Lastly, you can direct your senior tech learner to utilise the knowledge from several free tech sources in between your visits. Free online tech resources like AARPTek and TechBoomers offer excellent free tutorial classes in simple language.
While suggesting these sites mention that they are especially designed for seniors, so your elderly learner will feel more confident in attending those tutorials.
Following these steps will tactfully address your question on how to teach elderly to use technology. However, if you or the elders at your home wonder what is the need to do so much brainstorming at this old age, here are some reasons for you.
Reasons to Teach Them About Technology
You can easily experience a lack of motivation if your senior learner does not show improvements as you were expecting. The challenging task of learning new technologies can also make the elder adults fear it.
But knowing the importance of technology in their daily lives can boost the motivation of both of you. Here are the reasons why you should teach elders about technology;
Socialisation:
With age senior people get lonelier due to their decreased mobility and physical strength to go outside and socialise. Technology can help them socialise by connecting them with their distant friends and family members through social media.
Safety Concerns:
It is important for you to teach them technology to ensure they are safe while you are not at home. If your parents have a smartphone and know how to share the GPS whenever they go outside, you will never worry if they get late.
Entertainment:
Senior people often feel a void as their idle time does not seem to pass easily. Smartphones and the knowledge of using their technologies can easily counter this emptiness. They can see videos and reels, shop online, and talk to anyone to pass their retirement years.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you have your answer on how to teach elderly to use technology by now. Start slow with explaining the benefits of using technologies to kindle their enthusiasm. Use simple and understandable terms to widen their knowledge gradually.
Focus on daily practises follow-up questions and reflections on previous lessons. And never forget to appreciate the efforts that your senior student is showing. That’s it, this is all you need to successfully teach your elders some basic technologies.
