By Shannin Prather
April 2021 | 2021 Spring Newsletter
Whether with a computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone, smart television, smartwatch, or digital home assistant like Alexa and Google Home, you are surrounded by new methods of accessing information. What does it all mean and how do you use it?
Using and understanding technology may feel challenging to those who have gone most of their lives without it. It can be easy for some to become tech-savvy once you start to learn more about the technology around you. More seniors than ever before have adopted smartphones. According to Pew Research Center, 42 percent of adults over 65 say they feel confident using smartphones to access the internet.
Older adults should not underestimate how helpful technology can be. Whether you want to learn how to use email, find answers to questions, schedule appointments, do video calls with health professionals or loved ones, or view and share photos with friends and family, it is easier than you may think.
Getting digital literacy training can give you the skills and confidence to access information and services online on any device. If you do not have a family member or friend to show you some computer basics, there are several computer literacy training choices that offer technology lessons and instructional videos that give you the flexibility to go at your own pace.
LearnFree.org is free of charge and has tutorials on subjects ranging from different types of computers, to using email and internet searching, to online safety and cybersecurity. There are also in-person training classes available, as pandemic precautions allow, at many locations within Santa Clara County, including public libraries, community and senior centers, and adult schools. To learn more about computer training in your area, dial 211 on your phone or visit 211bayarea.org.
If you do not have access to a device or the internet, there are programs that may be able to provide you with either a low-cost or free computer, smartphone, or low-cost internet service.
To find out about these programs, contact 211 or speak with a Community Resource Specialist with Sourcewise by calling (408) 350-3500, option 1.