CAREGIVER CORNER
Why Doesn’t Mom
Use Her New Cell Phone?
Tech devices and gadgets available today are incredible and plentiful, and each of us thinks and feels differently about them: from telling Alexa to turn on our air conditioners and play our favorite tunes, to the cell phones and tablets we video chat on.
We can buy groceries while sitting on the beach. Our watches monitor our heart rates and glucose spikes. We’ve got GPSs in our shoes so we don’t lose track of each other. The choices are amazing and, to many older adults, overwhelming.
Hangups
Learning a new tech device is more frightening than hearing a strange noise at night, a dental visit and a doctor appointment combined, according to a survey of adults 60+ by Candoo Tech (2021). Fifty-seven percent of older adults fear internet scams, hacks and computer viruses.
Despite their unease, older adults want to be connected. In another survey, 46% chose “someone to help me learn or personal tech coach” as the number one item on their wish list. That’s more than twice the number who want a new tech device (21%).
As technology advances and becomes a bigger part of everyday life, many older adults understand the many benefits it brings and are eager to learn.
Have you watched a young person show an older adult how to use a cell phone, TV remote or computer? Typically, the young person is scrolling, clicking or moving so fast that you hardly have time to review how to turn the device on and off let alone follow what they are showing you.
I see this often when adult children give their parents a wonderful new gadget such as a smart TV, cell phone or tablet. We want our loved ones to reach us or see us (or we want to be able to see and reach them when we want or need) but mastering the technology can be complicated.
Safety is another issue. Older adults are prime targets for cyber-criminals. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), received more than 101,068 complaints in 2023 from victims over age 60 who were ripped off of over $3.4 billion, an 11% increase from 2022. The average loss was $33,915; nearly 6,000 lost more than $100,000.
Figuring out how to use smartphones and other technology and vulnerability to scams are the main reasons older adults shy away from technology.
Here’s how to help:
- Understand that it takes time to master a new device. Inexperience can make individuals feel uncomfortable or fearful. If you have rarely used a computer or the internet, it can be tough to learn to use them later in life. Cognitive impairments complicate learning and memory, especially something new involving multiple steps.
2. Start with the basics. Take small steps until each step is mastered.
3. Use simple language. Stay away from jargon.
4. Give positive reinforcement to build confidence.
5. Consider a gift of tech lessons. Many are available online. Help them log onto lessons or access video tutorials. A family member or friend could spend time teaching a new skill, keeping lessons brief with one or two new steps per session. Review the steps and make sure they understand them before moving on.
Technology has changed and improved over the past 20 years. Many older adults are curious, interested and want to experience it but fear it’s too advanced for them. Why not take the time (and patience) to help an older adult in your life unlock the world of technology?
