As access to information, banking, shopping, and so much more moves increasingly online, the digital divide grows. Quite a few local banks are closed, and online payments have become the norm. This leaves many seniors in the Wellington Region digitally excluded.
When seniors call Age Concern, their concerns are often linked with technology. Diane Turner, Director at the Office for Seniors, recently wrote that around 1 in 5 New Zealanders cannot or do not wish to interact online. Bridging the digital divide gap has become increasingly important and challenging.
Age Concern holds several ‘Tea & Tech’ sessions around the Wellington Region each year to help seniors with technology issues. At a recent event during Seniors’ Week 2022, Age Concern held one-to-one sessions in partnership with ANZ and Wellington City Council. Volunteers from ANZ spent the day helping seniors with technology issues.
The participants’ comfort level with tech varied. “I learned how to text someone without them texting me first today,” commented one participant. “I wish we could have this workshop everyday as it’s wonderful. Thank you for the service,” said another.
Ebony Perrot, a Tea & Tech volunteer from ANZ, helped Mary*, a participant in her 70s. Mary was comfortable with online banking on her computer but needed help with using banking on her smart phone. She also struggled with the speed of the moving cursor. Ebony was able to show Mary how to use the search function and change settings, allowing Mary to see new ways of solving issues. “You don’t have to navigate through all the options, you can just use the magnifying glass (search function) and search words,” Mary commented.
“Mary said she had early-stage dementia and sometimes finding words was difficult. By typing a few words in the search function, the answer usually comes,” Ebony said about her session with Mary.
The best part about the Tea & Tech sessions, according to several participants, was that they didn’t feel rushed, and they were able to take their time getting the answers they needed.
Age Concern will be running more Tea & Tech sessions in the future. Call 04 499 6648 for more information.
*names have been changed to protect privacy