02/04/2021
TECHNOPHOBIA – FEAR OF TECHNOLOGY
Many seniors are ‘technophobic’, which is not surprising as they grew up in homes devoid of technology: radio was the closest thing. TV only arrived in the late 1950’s (1976 in South Africa) but it took until 1981 for IBM to launch the first personal computers. Apple introduced the first smart phone in 2007, which then ‘put a computer in the palm of your hand’.
The most common barriers which seniors encounter in gaining computer skills are:
1. being unfamiliar with digital devices and how they operate. Consequently, seniors do not see the benefits of them, only the difficulties in learning a new technology and language.
2. afraid of putting personal information on a computer until they feel safe going online
3. doubting their ability to learn something new
4. limited access to digital devices and WIFI
5. insufficient support from family and friends w
ho rarely spend enough time to ensure skills transfer.
Here is our advice for Seniors who want to learn about Smart-phones, tablets or laptop computers:
*Don’t be afraid of the device – push buttons and see what happens. Make mistakes and learn from the experience, its highly unlikely that you will kill it!!!!
*Don’t panic – if you pushed a ‘serious’ button, then the device will give you a written warning, which you should read before proceeding
*Don’t give up and keep practicing. You cant learn a new skill in 5 minutes. Make step-by-step notes as you go and refer to them often, otherwise, you will repeat mistakes or forget successful actions. Keep these notes forever and update as your skills improve. This is especially true when family or friends are trying to add a new application or fix a problem on your digital device – always make notes on their actions.
Lastly, believe in yourself. Millions of seniors around the world are successfully using smartphones, tablets and laptop computers; if they can do it, then so can you.
