The “Other Version” of the Digital Divide
by Donna Spellman
We often refer to the digital divide as it pertains to socioeconomic levels. A Pew Research Center study shows that among U.S. adults with household incomes below $30,000, 29% don’t own a smartphone and 46% don’t own a traditional computer. This shouldn’t surprise us. But let’s consider the other digital divide–the one that divides us by age groups. The reality is that younger people, even those who fall in the low to moderate income levels, are more able to rely on their smartphones and computers to manage their lives than their older (over 70) friends and family members.
Consider this. Smartphones as we know them didn’t become a “thing” until a mere 20 years ago. That means that someone who is currently 85 years old was already 65 when smartphones became an appendage in the palm of our hands. The now 85 year old didn’t go to school using a laptop, didn’t likely major in computer programming, and certainly didn’t expect that access to their lives’ necessities could be found on apps located on a small device held in the palms of their hands. But wait…. It gets worse.
Whether the now 85 year old wants to or not, they are expected to do their banking online, order food online, visit their doctor online, check the lab results online online portal, watch (or stream) tv online, and the list goes on. One might think that we can just teach people how to do these things and then everything will work out just fine. But what happens when passwords need to be remembered, but then changed every few months? The age-related digital divide becomes increasingly prominent. So how do we help our aging adults remain connected and informed in a world where connectivity depends on electronics?
Now is the time to dissolve the divide in two ways. First, let’s try pairing younger people, either family members or close friends, with older adults. It’s time for older adults to have ongoing and consistent support and assistance from their younger support systems so that they, too, can remain electronically connected. Since passwords change so frequently, maybe a younger family member can keep track of their older family member’s passwords. In fact, I have my parents’ passwords listed on my phone for those emergency phone calls from them when they can’t remember which password they used last. Alas, I’m there to rescue and support them! Just that little bit of support goes a very long way.
Secondly, the next time you think about sending a text, how about picking up the phone and talking instead? Or better yet, how about a face to face visit? I promise you that you will be so empowered by that human contact that you might even consider making a habit of seeing people more regularly IN PERSON.. I will admit that it’s easier, more efficient and just plain convenient to rely on our phones, tablets and every other electronic device. But I promise you putting down the phone can be done! And you will be amazed how great you will feel. As we learned in kindergarten, making eye contact and speaking directly to people is a basic human skill that will carry us all a very long way. And what better way to respect our elders by putting down devices that they did not grow up with and having an in-person conversation.
