August 5 2019

Seniors and Third Millennium

You are over 60. You are already or soon to be retired. The use of modern technologies seems like too much of a challenge for you.

You feel as if you got lost in this millennium. You find communication with your children difficult, and almost impossible with grandchildren. You keep asking yourself whether you speak the same language after all.

You feel isolated and lonely. You are not happy with your social life and would like to change something.

The solution: buy yourself a computer or a smartphone if you don't have one already. And stop raising your brows and scoffing at this text. Try to make your spouse get one, if you are lucky enough to still have him/her by your side.

Why would I do that? I am an old bat, I am not really in for it anyway. And kid, I don't have money for this staff.

The recent studies show that people who use the Internet and tech devices at old age are 50% less likely to suffer dementia and depression syndromes. Cognitive faculties remain preserved longer while regular communication and sense of belonging contribute to better overall health.

Seniors who use social networks are more socially active, more positive, they cope better with old-age ailments and share useful information with their peers. The fact is that their immediate environment accepts them better, especially close family members, who often encourage and respect such a pro-active stance.

Take a look at the following example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki6nYs1Nps0

Who can stay immune to her, Lepa Janić is a kick-ass. Just look at how her mind works, and the body follows. Kids simply adore her, they call her the queen, and adults admire her spirits and enthusiasm.

The Internet provides a new level of autonomy to elderly people, they can do a lot of things from home, from ordering various products, even food (maxi online), to more advanced level and payment of bills online, even starting an online business. But take a step by step, it is dangerous to skip steps at your age.

Provided that you have sound health and that you can afford, I suggest you start from the following:

get a broadband connection - wifi
learn to use a smartphone
open a Facebook account
play video games
register on a dating website
join a mountaineering association
get yourself a pet (a dog preferably)
start learning a foreign language
drive something, even if it's a bicycle
take long walks if you are not capable of anything else
create a youtube channel/facebook group

Exactly opposite from what you are doing. Your brain cells are like muscles, they need a workout routine. What is bad for children is actually good for seniors. And your grandchildren will love you even better if you join them and play Candy Crush Saga or Fortnite...

Seniors and social networks

Social networks are great for preventing loneliness, old-age depression, meeting new people and for sharing content and learning. Provided that you use them moderately and responsibly, of course.

It is particularly beneficial for those who lost their spouses or who spend their days in isolation or in front of TV sets.

Check out if your high-school crush is still active/alive, or meet a new one.

And don't forget: your children and grandchildren will be grateful if you resist commenting each post or photo they publish, although it may be cute to some reasonable extent.

Seniors and mobile phones

Smartphones are something you were not growing up with, and you might be still scared of them. But trust me, they are not a boogie man. It is only important to overcome the initial fear.

Once you learn to use any device, you will soon catch up with others. Repetitio est mater studiorum, you just need to be persistent.

Don't worry, you won't start a nuclear war if you press a wrong button or if you accidentally delete something. There is nothing you can destroy, just let someone backup up your data before you start exploring the gadget.

Don't get discouraged by some extra time you'll need in the beginning to master the basics. Once you succeed, you will soon grasp the numerous benefits.

You will be able to use free viber messages and calls, to contact your friends and family abroad, to learn foreign languages via a mobile app, to read favourite news channels, completely free of charge, thanks to a wi-fi connection.

Do not hesitate to seek help from your children, grandchildren, neighbours. Provided that you show good will, they will be patient enough to wait for your progress.

Don't forget, your generation has not grown up with technology, so you could not intuitively adopt it. Do not expect to learn everything at once, overnight. Take your time and do not be too harsh on yourself and the initial mistakes you might make.

Seniors in Serbia and modern technologies

Why should be the pensioners in Western Europe better than you? 55% of people there over 65 years of age use the Internet and multimedia devices and the number keeps rising.

The percentage in our country is barely 25%. What makes the difference? Only the will and stamina. Don't sentence yourself to premature death and stop complaining and whining!

Stop watching reality shows and texting SMS of support to those "poor starlets"! Surprise your beloved ones instead. Imagine the reactions of your (grand)children when viber sends them a notification "Granny Mary joined viber".

Or when you start embarrassing them by posting comments to their Facebook statuses. Instagram won't be able to hide them either, you will find them there, too...

A whole new world will open up to you. Say farewell to boredom and depression. You will not have to give up your good old habits, and you will be empowered with a whole range of new possibilities.

Your grandchildren will adore you, they will no longer avoid you because you don't have a router. You will be cool again!

But still, beware of addiction! You don't want to visit a rehab institution at your age. For sure, no one would imagine that you checked in to battle a sex addiction!

The things you should avoid in virtual world, which also applies to the real one, are the following: