Calming computer jitters: Help for the elderly who aren't tech-savvy washingtonpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtonpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Itâs still sitting in a box, unopened.
âI didnât know how to set it up or how to get help,â said Sanders, who lives in Philadelphia and has been extremely careful during the coronavirus pandemic.
Like Sanders, millions of older adults are newly motivated to get online and participate in digital offerings after being shut inside, hoping to avoid the virus, for more than a year. But many need assistance and arenât sure where to get it.
A recent survey from AARP, conducted in September and October, highlights the quandary. It found that older adults boosted technology purchases during the pandemic but more than half (54%) said they needed a better grasp of the devices theyâd acquired. Nearly 4 in 10 people (37%) admitted they werenât confident about using these technologies.
Demand for services that provide training about tech for seniors has increased during the pandemic. Dreamstime/TNS
Six months ago, Cindy Sanders, 68, bought a computer so she could learn how to email and have Zoom chats with her great-grandchildren.
It’s still sitting in a box, unopened.
“I didn’t know how to set it up or how to get help,” said Sanders, who lives in Philadelphia and has been extremely careful during the coronavirus pandemic.
Like Sanders, millions of older adults are newly motivated to get online and participate in digital offerings after being shut inside, hoping to avoid the virus, for more than a year. But many need assistance and aren’t sure where to get it.
How to get connected: Many seniors want to Zoom, email and hop online — but they need help phillyvoice.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from phillyvoice.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.