Tech Savvy Seniors: What to Know and What to Avoid
Posted by Donna Mae Scheib on August 15, 2017
Tech Savvy Seniors: What to Know and What to Avoid
Over the past quarter of a century, technology has evolved and revolutionized the way the world goes ‘round. The Internet has provided a fast, instantaneous way of talking to people halfway around the globe, and lets us connect with friends and family through various social media websites.
According to the Pew Research Center, over 70% of Americans have broadband connection to the Internet and close to three-quarters of Americans have a smartphone, which also offers connection to the Internet. A research survey conducted in November of 2016 has shown how smartphone growth has overall doubled since 2011, and around 42% in the age demographic of 65 and older are now smartphone owners (up 12 points since 2015).
Are you part of this demographic that have just purchased a smartphone, a state of the art tablet, or the latest computer? Do you feel at ease with this technology or do you feel like that you could use some help figuring out your new device? Have you thought about some of the things that you would like to learn how to use?
Remember, younger family members have had to quickly adapt to using technology and they are a good source to reach out to for help. In some larger cities, community colleges, libraries, or stores where you have purchased your device from may offer beginner classes to help you to transition to using different applications on your smartphone, computer, or tablet.
Let’s explore some popular social media sites that allow you to connect with friends and family by sharing and viewing pictures, videos, and messages.
Popular Social Media Sites to Connect with Others
- Facebook- With a community of over 2 billion people, Facebook is an easy way to connect with old friends and new friends. Simply search for the name “Facebook” in your search engine on your Internet application or go to their website at www.facebook.com to sign up.
- YouTube- YouTube is a popular social media site that also acts as a search engine to view and post videos. This is a great tool to use to search “how to’s” such as “How do I cut a leek” or “How do I fix a small hole in the wall”. There are so many videos that people have posted to help with various things in your daily life. Simply go to their website at www.youtube.com and type in the search bar what you want to watch.
- Pinterest- This social media site also can act as a search and bookmarking tool for various recipes, garden tips, home decoration ideas, party décor, quilting, sewing, etc. Pinterest allows you to save “pins” on your page so that you may view what you have seen later and share photos with others to contribute your own unique recipes and other ideas!
- Senior.com- An internet community to participate in chat forums and to share stories while being able to shop and look up articles related to seniors.
- Senior Living Link – Our own website offers detailed information about various senior living facilities. Check out our senior living directory for information about housing in your area and enjoy other articles on our senior living resource blog for other senior friendly information.
Other Benefits of the Internet for seniors
Aside from social media use, the Internet can be used to find many other resources to help with your day-to-day living or to be a source of entertainment:
- Supermarkets and larger grocery chains may offer online ordering in your area. Simply use their website to pick out your groceries and have them ready for you to pick up at your local store!
- Work with your bank to set up your online account features so you can easily access your checking and savings account
- Take advantage of online shopping for the holidays, birthdays, and even household items to be shipped right to your door!
- Booking flights and other travel accommodations is easier than ever with comparison sites for flights and hotels like https://www.google.com/flights/ and https://www.kayak.com/.
- Check out popular volunteer websites such as volunteermatch.com which offers a virtual feature so you can volunteer from your home. You can even custom search for volunteer opportunities that match your skills and interest.
- Medical advice (although this does not take place of seeking out your primary care doctor and calling 9-1-1 in a state of emergency). Many doctors’ offices also offer patient portals that you can access to look up test results and your reports from your visit.
Senior Safety on the Web
There are so many more features that the Internet offers that you can enjoy using, even as an older American! Smart phones, computers, and tablets are all designed to use for easy function for everyone.
With the continual increase in popularity of modern technology and appreciating the easy to use features and benefits, it is important to stop and think about safety on the Internet for the older American population.
- Be cautious: Do NOT share personal information to strangers online including your name, address, age, phone number, birthday, email address, social security number, insurance policy numbers, or even whom you seek medical care from. Many social media sites have privacy features to ensure those who you are friends with can see your name and picture and you can hide your email and birthday information. Think before you type (once it is on the internet, it is there forever!)
- Beware of Scams: Do not open emails that are sent from email addresses that you do not know. Do not enter contests or join a club unless it is on a legitimate website. Many scammers design these attractive emails or try to scare you into giving up personal information or even money.
- Create Strong Passwords: Use unique passwords that are at least 8 characters including upper and lower case letters and symbols that create security against others trying to hack your information. If you are not sure how to set up a strong password, have a trusted family member or friend help you manage your accounts to ensure safety.
- If it’s too good to be true, it probably is: This is just the common sense necessary to apply to the Internet world but it is important to stick to this advice. Be wary of who you connect with, only buy items off of authoritative, well-known websites (it is a website that you have heard of before and the English is easy to read), take health and medical information from articles with cautionary views and talk to your doctor about further explanations.