Gone are those days when in-person meetings and shared knowledge through face to face meetings were common. Today, the world has become a global village, and this global village has only come in place because of advancement in technology. Technology has led us to get in touch on the fingertips with someone in a blink of a second. Nowadays, we expect in our society that almost everyone should have the basic knowledge on how to use technology-based products such as laptops, phones, tablets etc. I have seen many times a senior struggling to send an e-transaction or using internet on their cell phones. Just because boomers are retiring now from the workforce, it does not mean they are going to ease into a chair or cut from their social life. As they are slowly moving to their 70s, they are learning technologies from their children or grandchildren or peers.
Here are the ten must-have technical skills that seniors can use in order to be more productive and efficient, so they can enjoy this new era of technology.
1- Laptop: They need to learn to use word/excel sheet, Windows Media Player, and internet
2- Smartphones: Not only for a day to day communication but also for emergency situations.
3- Online Banking: It is safe, convenient and easy (once you get hold of) to transfer your funds or send money. You can keep yourself in check on time with your bill payments and credit card activities.
4- Smartphone internet: To access their e-mail, search online or use supermarket coupons.
5- News applications: A generation who grew up with physical newspapers; now they are using smartphones to stay updated on their little devices or tablets.
6- Social Networking Website: They need to learn to use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. It will be fun to connect with friends, classmates, colleagues from the past. Also, they can develop new relationships by sharing similar interests.
7- Kindle and other e-readers: Digital books’ sales are climbing; Amazon has sold more e-books as compared to hardcover last year. E-readers are portable, so they can be taken anywhere while traveling.
Baby boomers don’t need to be shy or embarrassed to learn something new. Learning is a life-long process. They should update their laptops, cell phones etc. with new versions of software or applications. They will be able to understand the difference between spam, junk e-mail, and viruses. Our future is moving towards virtual reality. Also, we, as a society, should not judge them and be patient while they learn to use new gadgets.
Amna Khaliq is a Business Management Instructor at Northern Lights College. The views expressed are her own. She believes that kindness, smiles, love, and yawning is contagious. In her spare time, she likes traveling, cooking, reading and working out.
