Int'l Day of Older Persons: How more and more older adults want to be tech-savvy

ldquoYes I know how to send a picture through WhatsApp Now I even video call my family members through itrdquo 67yearold Ram Bhau Vaarna says listing out his newlycultivated technological skills with a sense of confidenceLike many other older adults Vaarna a member of the protribal outfit Shramjeevi Sanghatana based in Palghar district was pushed into learning how smartphones and the internet worked after the pandemic moved most offline work to the online spaceEven as activities such as bookings and payments areswiftly and increasinglygoing virtual in India digital illiteracy mdash especially among older adults mdash remains a concernAccording to a survey conducted by the Mobile Ecosystem Forum from November to December 2019 only 10 percent of Indians aged 45 and above used smartphones as compared to younger adults An April 2020 analysis by Pew Research Centre on internet usage around the world while the world grappled with Covid19 suggests that in India 57 percent of adults between the age group of 18 to 29 years used the internet as against only 18 percent of adults aged 50 and moreHow it all startedFor someone who had never used an Android phone before the March 2020 lockdown the urgency to use a smartphone was initially overwhelming for Ram Bhau But with a little help from the young people at home and in his organisation he fared well enough to create a space for himself in the virtual world ldquoOur union head prompted us to use Zoom application for meetings Then we switched to Telegram to accommodate more number of people Today I can use both the applications to address peoplersquos concernsrdquo Vaarna saysRam Bhau Vaarnas favourite activity on his smartphone is to Google things he wants to know about Photo Courtesy Ram Bhau VaarnaFor 52yearold Rafik Chaudhary communications officer at Shramjeevi Sanghatanas Wada branch getting started with Zoom meetings was quite a struggle ldquoMy friend had gifted me an Android phone in March 2020 but I still could not download the Zoom app on it It wasnrsquot as good as physical meetings but later on we got a hang of itrdquo he says adding that he had to constantly use his wifersquos phone for meetingsWhile it all started with Zoom meetings for the majority of working adults for teachers particularly getting wellversed with Google Meet was the first step towards entering a digital teaching and learning spaceRoshni Chandran a 56yearold primary school teacher from Mumbairsquos suburban area of Santacruz adapted to the ecosystem of a virtual classroom in a week For Chandran the overall experience has been exciting but there are challenges which she tries to overcome in her own interesting wayldquoFor a teacher disciplining the children online has been a challenge To avoid commotion I have taught my students specific signs and symbols to use when they have to say somethingFor example one thumb up for lsquoreadyrsquo lsquookayrsquo and lsquocompleted workrsquo and a thumb down for lsquonot readyrsquo lsquoincomplete workrsquo andlsquodonrsquot know the answerrsquordquo she cracks up while getting into the details of the time and energy invested in seeking the attention of the kids on the screenrsquos little boxesHow it is goingFollowing a period of being nervous about clicking on the wrong button or making mistakes manyquinquagenarians and sexagenariansare now overcoming hesitation and growing comfortable with using applications for various purposes While internet banking and digital payments are still something they are wary of online communication services are popular among them for staying in touch with friends family and coworkersNow equipped with the knowhow of the internet Ram Bhau does not miss a chance to Google things he wants to know about ldquoI use Google more often and I like that I can access information easily I want to learn more about Facebook too soonrdquo he saysAfter basic tech adaptation they are also showing interest in getting familiar with social media applications and expressing more through the means of technologyldquoI can use some of the common applications like WhatsApp and Facebook and I surely wish to learn more But there are time constraintsrdquo Chandran saysRafik Chaudhary feels there should be a digital training programme for adults just like the one for kids Photo Courtesy Rafik ChaudharyTherersquos also a common feeling among the three that a governmentrun digital literacy and training programme for adults is the need of the hour ldquoEven we have digital aspirations and want to share our experiences and learnings through technology The government must do something for digital inclusion of all Mere life security or pension schemes for us are not enough We need digital literacy as well for our security and advancementrdquo Chaudhary responds passionately when asked about the need for digital inclusion of people across age groupsThe Mobile Ecosystem Forum in July this year flagged the issue of an emerging digital divide with only 186 percent of adults aged 45 years and more using smartphones worldwide The theme for the International Day of Older Persons this year lsquoDigital equity for all agesrsquo stresses on the need to cater to the deepening disparities and to make tech and digital literacy accessible to older persons across countriesOne of the key objectives of United Nations DOP 2021 is to raise awareness about the digital inclusion of elders while addressing prejudice stereotypes and discrimination associated with digitisation across age groups The UN also highlights the role of policies and infrastructure development in improving access to technological innovations while ensuring privacy and security of the older adultsIndian startups and organisations taking on digital illiteracyIn India a number of organisations and startups some of which sprang up during the pandemic have taken up the cause of addressing the gaps in virtual connectivity and are encouraging older people to sign up for their resources and training programmesNew Delhi based Agewell Foundation a notforprofit organisation which focuses on the welfare of older people has a digital literacy programme for the elderly Khyaal is a startup launched during the pandemic which also provides a range of services including digital literacy for older persons It was founded by Hemanshu Jain Pritish Nelleri and Alok SoniTech Easy Hai is another such platform which provides digital literacy through online classes to adults more than 40 years of age It started in May 2020 with Shreya and her sister Shruti Bajaj sharing a mini newsletter with their friends to gauge the need to launch formal classes for adults who were willing to become independent of the young when it comes to overcoming tech problemsAcceptance for learning is the highest among adults and that they are gradually becoming inquisitive about how they can use tech in their everyday life according to Shreya Bajaj cofounder of Tech Easy Hai ldquoWe have both homemakers and working persons as our audience and the kind of aspirations and ideas that older adults have is interesting she observes Tech is in a way an enabler for them to achieve their goalsrdquoAlso Read How content creators are gaining from the growing hunger for translated art