Computers Can Help Keep Seniors Stay Connected

Posted: June 4th, 2011

Our world has become intricately connected like never before. All of us actively participating online can feel a part of a greater community, truly a global community. The internet gives us the power to change perceptions, shape lives, share dreams, bank, shop, play games, stay informed, and stay connected with our loved ones. In many ways the internet is now a virtual microcosm of the real world.

With more and more of our attention shifted to the online realm, it has become increasingly problematic for those not actively engaged online to keep up and feel connected, even to their own families. This is especially true of seniors and some of the boomer population.

When they were adults, computers were just gaining in relevance, and aside from the novelty factor, there really wasn’t much incentive to pick one up yet. They were also relatively expensive, meaning most people could not afford one, nor would want one given its limited capabilities at the time. As the internet era dawned, computers rose in relevance, though the general perception still existed among the older generation that computers were a newfangled gimmick.

Even as the internet has now become all but vital for communication, many seniors are still hesitant to hop onboard the bandwagon. In many cases, they’ve waited so long that they feel it’s too late for them to get involved. Many also believe computers are simply too difficult to learn.

Yet a funny thing happens when seniors take those first tentative steps online; they realize that contrary to their expectations, computers are in fact not exceptionally difficult to master. Yes, learning new concepts and ideas can be more difficult as we grow older, but it just takes the proper mindset and a helpful teacher or program to guide them through some of the steps necessary to get comfortable with computers and navigate one’s way online. They also quickly realize what all the fuss is about, and that being online can be incredibly enjoyable.

It really can’t be stressed enough how positive it is for seniors to stay connected online, especially seniors who are single or widowed and not easily able to get around the community. They can feel very lonely and isolated, and the internet is an invaluable tool for eliminating that isolation and feeling that they’re still a part of the community at large; whether it be through participating in discussion forums about some of their favorite topics, hunting down old friends on social networking sites, or just reading through the blogs of other people going through their own journeys through life.

Computers are also a great tool for keeping the mind sharp and active. Unlike some other activities such as watching T.V, the mind is actively engaged while online, and this keeps those synapses firing, and the connections of the brain strong and healthy.

It is never too late to start learning the computer and becoming an active online participant. There’s a lot to learn, but it doesn’t have to be learned all at once. With an open mind and a desire to learn, any senior will succeed in learning how those newfangled computers work, and will surely learn to love them and all they offer like the rest of us.

Judy

Softarama team

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