The Digital Divide: Small, Social Programs Can Help Get Seniors Online

Government services such as myGov and myagedcare increasingly rely on individuals having access to computers and the Internet and the knowledge of how to use them, and seniors who lack these skills may miss out on the services and support they need, reports The Conversation . Small, social, community-run programs that let seniors share learning on their own terms have proved effective. Although Australia's score on the Australian Digital Inclusion Index improved last year from the year before, seniors still lag younger people in their capacity to access and use the Internet. A person in their 60s is more likely to be familiar with and use the Internet than someone in their 70s, 80s, or older, mainly because of the likelihood that younger cohorts would have used such technology in their working lives. Other factors can include gender, education, employment status/type, social and economic background, language skills, and current health and/or disability. For older Australians who are not yet online but who want to be, there are community and online programs that can assist them. One program is Telstra's Tech Savvy Seniors program, which contains a number of self-paced and self-directed learning modules and includes step-by-step videos and instruction guides that provide seniors with the basic skills to use computers, the Internet, and smartphones. Home and community care organizations have recently recognized the benefits technology can offer their clients, with one provider deploying its own technology program to help promote connection and relieve social isolation for its home, community, and residential care recipients.