Five Steps A Senior Citizen Can Use To Gain Education Of Technology
Monday, August 31st, 2009When Lauren went to her charging station to grab her portable music player she thought she had forgotten to plug it in when she went to charge it. Its display was dark and so she did a fast examination of the other electronics resting in the charger. Her IPhone screen lit up with the touch of a button, as did her PDA. As she looked into it, she quickly realized it was just her music device that was not working. She began to research places to go for IPod parts and service. She couldn’t imagine being without it for a considerable amount of time. Her grandmother, with whom she lived, was just the reverse. She was simply beleaguered by technology and felt that people her age were sometimes left behind when attempting to stay updated. Lauren’s grandmother thought about trying to be more technically knowledgeable but was not sure where to even begin. The following are tips for those who are older who desire knowledge about some current strides in technology:
1. Take classes at the Community Center or Senior Citizen’s Center. Many communities now offer senior classes or workshops free of charge to anyone wishing to learn. Why not combine group contact with others of the same age while gaining knowledge that will help you find the way out of the confusion of new technology?
2. View online lessons at product websites. They are free and are available 24/7 so a person can go to them whenever the mood strikes and get valuable instruction. A website is bound to give attention to detail to make the company’s product easy to understand and appealing. This is where it might be feasible to learn about merchandise add ons that could make it easier to use and more practical to charge and store.
3. Ask a grandchild or neighborhood student for help. Young people are given early training in school and it’s easy for them to pass on the teaching received to an inquiring senior citizen. This is also a fun way to bond with a younger person due to a shared interest. Never underestimate the reality that the child may truly benefit from spending time with an older person who contributes to his or her self-worth by validating technological talents the student has.
4. Don’t be afraid to try something that could be frightening. Many times the languagesurrounding computers, cells, music devices, etc. can be hard to decipher but usually it sounds more complicated and daunting than it really is. Like everything else that is new and unknown, new technology devices can be easily explained by form and function and become something to enjoy.
5. Keep an open mind. This is such an important element to any new activity. Older people can easily be overwhelmed and just give up when attempting to learn about new products but this is so counterproductive. As we age, these same products can make our lives easier by connecting us to loved ones, enabling us to shop from home, and allowing us to research ideas without leaving the comfort of home.