5 Reasons Why Seniors Should Stay Up-To-Date with Technology

The Internet has seamlessly integrated itself into our lives. It gets hazy, remembering a time before texting and voicemail and emails.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can’t keep up with technology.

Yes, our youngest generations have grown up with the Internet. But they should not be the only ones who stay up-to-date with technology, its advancements, and the different ways it can be of help.

Technology could be especially important particularly for seniors for a variety of reasons:

1.Technology allows seniors to stay connected with family and friends that are far away

As families continue to grow, members often move away from home for school, work, or to pursue their own families. Luckily, with the help of technology, communication has never been easier. Whether it be through text messaging, FaceTime or Skype, or any of the various social media sites, it’s insanely easy to stay connected with family and friends from afar. You don’t even have to own a fancy cellphone to be able to do these types of communicating. Modern tablets or computers almost all have the ability to use any of the above forms of communication to keep family and friends connected no matter where in the world they are.

2. Technology aids in independent living for seniors

It is no secret that there are a large handful of electronic devices and technological advances that exist today to help the elderly be a tad more independent. Most people fear their parents or aging loved ones living alone because they are putting their health and safety at risk with no one else around to help them, but with new technologies, it couldn’t be easier for seniors to be on their own.

Remote health-monitoring systems exist that remind seniors to take their medications, allow caregivers to monitor and manage their patient’s health remotely, and allow seniors to call for an emergency at the push of one single button. Cell phones and tablets also have access to numerous health apps that can do a wide range of health tracking and reminding to give seniors the freedom they want when they are alone.

Technology inside of the home also help to make living alone more comfortable. Today, there are smart appliances that do almost everything for you and even robotic vacuums that clean your entire house on their own.

Lastly, with use of the internet via tablet, computer or cellphone, seniors can easily do their grocery shopping online and have it delivered right to their front door. It seriously cannot get any easier than that.

3. Technology provides entertainment.

While we don’t always want to look towards electronic devices to entertain, there is almost nothing that cannot be found for entertainment with access to technology and the internet. Whether it be watching movies or television through sites like Netflix or Hulu, listening to music through Pandora or Spotify, downloading apps for games, or shopping for literally anything via the internet, seniors can get a lot of the entertainment options from technological gadgets.

4. Technology helps to keep seniors informed with what’s going on in the world.

While many seniors proclaim their love for a physical newspaper or book, there isn’t anything you cannot do on your smartphone or tablet to stay informed with the news. With apps like Kindle, seniors can subscribe to their favorite newspaper and have it delivered right to their electronic daily. They can also easily download a variety of news outlet apps to stay educated on world happenings.

5. Technology aids in productivity and skills.

An app exists for nearly everything, and productivity and life skills don’t fall short here. With access to writing notes or to-do lists on your computer, smartphone, or tablet, and apps like Evernote that works as a file cabinet to keep everything organized, seniors can easily keep mental clutter clear.

Seniors can also continue to work on technological skills with apps that teach basic internet skills, computer classes, and different languages.

Just because the younger generations won’t ever learn to find a business in the Yellow Pages, doesn’t mean that older generations should stop learning.

DigiLearn offers learning programs that will best suit your education style, whether that’s small group classes, with a friend or on your own. We begin with a free 30-minute assessment, done over the phone and scheduled at your convenience. Your DigiLearn mentor will help you identify topics of interest and make recommendations for programs you might choose to explore.

Another great way to learn is to subscribe to the DigiLearn blog for tips and resources. Sign up here!