Embarrassment, intimidation and feeling unheard by well-meaning family members are just a few barriers that keep many seniors from embracing technology.
But two Georgia instructors are working to change that — offering free guidance and encouragement to help older adults build digital confidence and improve their daily lives.
Smartphone savvy
Tamiko Leverette is the founder and executive director of Facts to Thrive, a nonprofit organization partnering with local entities to offer free tech classes for seniors at the Gladys Dennard Library in Union City.
Credit: MIKE SMITH
Credit: MIKE SMITH
Seniors who attend these lunch-and-learn sessions learn mostly about smartphones, including simple concepts — how to turn a phone on or off, answer a call, plug in a charging cord and adjust volume.
Leverette finds seniors trying to navigate these operations themselves are timid about doing so in public and in front of family, who may infantilize them by taking over. She takes things slow during the four-hour classes.
“They get really frazzled because everyone is looking at them. … It diminishes their spirit,” she said. “So, what we do in the class is we split it in half. The first half of the day … we don’t touch the equipment. We literally start out with getting them to understand that they can handle technology today.”
She breaks down concepts like names of social media platforms, the difference between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and Apple and Android. She also explains how to use videoconferencing for health care appointments and QR codes for things like restaurant orders.
Getting participants in the door, she said, is the biggest challenge because many feel intimidated. But she reminds them that they’re already doing complex things in their daily lives.
“They’re afraid to even come to the class, because they think it’s gonna be this big technology class, and I have to say, ‘No — let’s just go with the fact that you can do this. You drive cars, you function — all of that is technology.”
Computer skills
In a world full of smartphones, computer skills still apply.
Gurbet Evsel, adult services librarian at the Cobb County Public Library’s Vinings branch, understands these challenges and offers one-on-one instruction to seniors on everything from writing emails and attaching photos to browsing the internet, using social media and navigating programs like Word and Excel.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Some people, she said, might bring in a new laptop they want to learn to use, or they might need a knowledge refresher. Either way, they’re free to ask questions along the way or come back after an initial session.
Like Leverette, she sees seniors who have experienced embarrassment and trouble remembering steps after receiving help from family. In the library setting, she pointed out, they’re less likely to be shy about repeating questions, and they can expect any difficulties to be approached with professionalism.
“Confidence levels rise, for sure,” she said. “They feel comfortable with me because they don’t get any negative feedback.”
Both instructors are seeing seniors incorporate technology in ways that enhance and simplify daily living. Evsel has been introducing participants to artificial intelligence and teaching them to ask questions in ChatGPT. Knowing how to bank and shop online, she pointed out, also opens up new possibilities.
Leverette has even shown her students how to save money by converting to streaming television services versus traditional cable. She echoed Evsel’s statements about the confidence this type of learning produces.
“The circumstances have made them feel incompetent and that they can’t do things themselves, but once they realize that they can do it, their whole personality changes,” Leverette shared.
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