Why We Should Embrace the Digital World
Today’s seniors are living in a technology-enabled Digital World which
offers us several conveniences
The digital world comes
with avenues for information, entertainment, education, learning new skills, networking, and much more
So what is the Digital World?
The Cambridge dictionary defines an analogous term “Digital Age” as “the present time, in which many things are
done by computer and large amounts of information are available because of
computer technology”
How are the generic advantages of the digital world applicable specifically to seniors?
1.
A
Digital Economy puts us more in control of our Lives:
In my experience, a digital
world gives us more control over our lives.
As we age we grow physically feebler.
We also become more
apprehensive about going out by ourselves.
Walking on crowded streets is
a challenge. Crossing a busy road is something I dread.
Online Ordering of basic necessities
like groceries, household provisions, milk, eggs, etc is wonderfully convenient. A blessing of the digital age.
2.
It offers opportunities for Learning –
I have taken many online
courses after I turned 60.
I
have taken and completed Google’s free Course on Digital Marketing.
I have bought many online courses from Udemy on topics
as diverse as Real Estate, SEO, Proof Reading, and Digital Art.
I discovered to
my surprise and glee that Udemy courses can be bought for a fraction of the
price during the Special Discount period. Thus courses which were priced at
upwards of Indian Rupees (Rs) 10,000 were available for less than Rs. 500!
I have friends who have registered for online language classes..one is
learning French and the other Sanskrit
3. Opportunities to Pursue Arts
& Crafts Online:
Post Retirement, some of my retired
classmates have taken up crafts like Painting and Sketching. They learn it online.
A friend who used to dabble in
playing the keyboard when young is now taking online classes. It keeps her
occupied and helps her distress.
One
friend discovered a new passion in an online class -Terrace Gardening. She
grows greens and tomatoes and has plenty to distribute to others too. She is
an active member of Whatsapp and Facebook Gardening Groups and is fairly
occupied throughout the day.
I have a 64-year-old sister
and 66-year-old brother in law are into karaoke singing. My brother-in-law had
dreams of becoming a playback singer for Indian films. He eventually took the
path of academics and he is a Professor of Physics at a University in the USA.
Now he has revived and to a
certain extent fulfilled his childhood dream – Every couple of weeks he and his
wife record a duet on SMULE, the well-known Karaoke App, and share it with
family and friends on Whatsapp groups
4. Surfeit
of Online Entertainment –
Growing up my main hobbies were reading fiction, listening to music and
occasionally watching a movie at a
theater outside of my home.
Pursuing these simple hobbies required quite of a bit effort:
-
To get my
supply of books on fiction I became a member of a local library. It was located
about half a kilometer from home. I had to walk the to and fro distance or go
on my bicycle.
-
We listened
only to the music relayed by the local radio station when I was a kid. A few
years later cassette recorder players became available and we could buy
pre-recorded cassettes of film music and listen to them.
-
Going to
the theatre for a movie was a major exercise. My Dad and Mom would at first
inquire about the movie from their friends and relatives and “approve” it for
viewing by us the children. Tickets would have to be purchased in advance. One
or two of us kids would physically go to the theatre, stand in a queue and
purchase the tickets.
Amazingly now I can pursue all the above three recreational activities
sitting at home:
-
My Kindle is full of the books that I love. I bought them all while sitting at home
-
I have downloaded songs I like both on my mobile
phone and laptop
-
With so
many OTT Channels, I don’t have enough
time to do justice and watch all the popular movies and web series!
- Even if I want to watch a movie in the theatre I book tickets online. I order coffee and a snack online sitting at home. Either my husband drives or we hire a cab from the Uber Ride mobile application.
5. Aspiring Writers –The World Wide Web is your Canvas
I always wanted to write. To
get published.
As a teenager and young woman, I freelanced for magazines and wrote occasional articles for the papers.
Once I got busy with work and
family, this desire was shelved.
After retirement, I found that
there are a host of free, simple, well-known platforms on which you can write.
Medium, Quora, Reddit, and Substack are the more well-known ones.
And if you don’t want to be on a platform, you can start your own blog. This blog is on the simplest, oldest and free blogging platform of Google ie Blogger.
6. Helps
Seniors to Keep Better Track of their Health
Almost all hospitals and medical laboratories in my city
i.e. Chennai in India have the facility of sending medical reports through
email and Whatsapp. Just a few years ago one had to physically travel to the
hospital or laboratory just to pick up the report.
I fix my dental appointments through a mobile application. My
tech-savvy dentist prefers it that way.
I read a lot of health-related articles on my smartphone.
Through a web search you can narrow down the topic and access the latest medical
research and developments across the world
7.
Greatly Facilitates Social Connectivity and Networking
WhatsApp has become a very commonly used way to communicate online. Usually, one becomes a member of a Whatsapp group of classmates or work colleagues, or family. It’s a wonderful way to communicate, share photographs, to remain in touch, and to be socially active
What is the Digital Divide which
some seniors are facing?
Digital Divide is the exclusion
of seniors from accessing the many digital or online services available and
benefiting from them.
So why is this happening?
According to the Mental Health Foundation, UK “There are many reasons why older people can be
digitally excluded. The inequalities in our society mean that those with the
most wealth have far more economic resources, social support, and knowledge to
be digitally included.”
According to an article in the New York Times “As life has increasingly moved online during the pandemic, an older generation that grew up in an analog era is facing a digital divide. Often unfamiliar or uncomfortable with apps, gadgets and the internet, many are struggling to keep up with friends and family through digital tools when some of them are craving those connections the most.”
Digital Divide is being faced to a considerable extent by seniors in India too.
“India boasts more than 560 million internet users, making it the second largest online market in the world. Yet there are vast disparities in use, by age, socio-economic status, gender, and areas where people reside.
The penetration rate for smartphones
is about 54%, but only around 5% for those 55 years and older. “
According to the digital publication Unravel, access to the internet and digital
literacy are becoming vital to civic participation and the ability to access
healthcare, and social and economic services – which are increasingly computerized
and digitalized. Greater familiarity with digital tools will also reduce
dependency, increase autonomy and boost self-worth among India’s fast-growing
elderly population.
My premise is that a senior reading this blog has access to the internet and is already reaping the benefits of the digital world
Just a few years ago one
needed to have a computer or laptop or at least a tablet to access the net.
Now we can access the internet
with a hand-held device like a smartphone. A smartphone is not a luxury
product but is rather quite affordable.
So if you have access to the internet, embrace the digital world and
milk it for all it has to offer.
And if you know a senior, perhaps a relative, a friend, or an acquaintance who has been digitally excluded show them how they can enter the digital world.
It is all about getting the right device if they are in an area that has internet access.
