Seniors today didn’t grow up with digital technology in their homes and schools. For elderly people wanting to pick up the skills to navigate online safely, the learning curve is steep. If you’re introducing a parent or grandparent to the internet, consider the following tips to ensure they enjoy the experience while staying safe in this virtual environment.
1. Install Helpful Tools
While you may find yourself easily cruising from internet site to site without much thought, people without prior surfing experience may initially find navigating from one web page to another quite tricky. To start them off, consider suggesting sites you think the person will enjoy visiting often, and bookmark these for easy access.
Software such as OneLaunch allows you to customize the Windows taskbar and dock for maximum ease and efficiency. By setting him or her up for browsing success, you can minimize frustration and ensure that your loved one has an enjoyable online experience from the start.
2. Establish a Good Connection
A bad internet connection can lead to frustration and withdrawal from online activities. Do your research and obtain the fastest and most reliable internet provider available for the user’s budget. A good connection is essential to maximize secure and enjoyable browsing.
3. Schedule Lesson Times
Navigating the virtual world isn’t something that one necessarily picks up intuitively. Unfortunately, if your loved one has no skills or familiarity to start with, they’ll need regular help to progress from simple surfing to other activities such as online banking and interacting on social media. While it may be tempting to simply set them up with a computer and internet connection and leave them to their own devices, this approach is likely to fail.
If you’re committed to your senior’s success, schedule regular lesson times and adhere to that schedule. Try not to rush through instructions. Remember that they are navigating a foreign world for the first time, and it can be intimidating. Encourage them to try new things, but also temper their enthusiasm with regular reminders of the risks involved.
4. Stress Security
As you highlight the risks involved in joining the virtual world, stress the important security measures you want your loved one to always employ. Teach him or her how to create a secure password and how to securely store login and password information. Counsel your pupil on how to spot scams and misinformation, and stress the pitfalls of clicking on malicious links.
5. Encourage Practice
Once you’re confident that your student can safely go online without supervision, encourage him or her to practice, practice, practice. Like any other learned skill, repetition is an effective way to gain and maintain mastery and confidence. Assign daily tasks such as checking the weather or a favorite sports team’s progress online to keep their skills sharp.
While you may worry about the security risks involved, the benefits of online interaction for your elderly loved one may outweigh the dangers. If so, you can employ these tips to help them achieve success while staying safe in the virtual world.