General Technology

Many local senior centers, community centers and community colleges have computer programs for seniors!

Seniors on Computers: Prescription for the Future

by Bob McCluskey

I have been excited about encouraging senior citizens to make use of computers and the Internet for a long time. The possibility that many of us will live to 100 years of age is greater than it has ever been in human history. In view of these findings it is ironic that those of us who have reached the age 65 milestone were raised in a society that believed 65 was the beginning of the end.. Our new understanding of wellness and health advances leads us to understand that 65 is actually just the end of the beginning!

I am a senior citizen who stumbled into the realm of technology somewhat by accident. For some reason I wandered into education as a profession. An effective educator in the 1970's had to learn to use computers. When I started learning about computers I wanted to be able to use them really well. It didn't take me long to realize that computers would be like pencils and paper on steroids for schools. By the time the Internet started appearing in schools I had moved on to college teaching and administration. One day a friend in the data processing department called me and said, "Get over to my office. You will love this!"

As soon as I walked into his office he seated me in front of an old IBM personal computer, jammed his telephone handset into some sort of cradle apparatus that connected to the computer and held down three or four keys at once. I heard a hissing, beeping and quacking noise coming from somewhere. A bunch of symbols raced across the computer screen, leading to the opening of a kind of "window." The proud professor exclaimed, "My friend, that is a 'web browser'." The next hour was a whirlwind of technical glitches and conceptual wonders.. I remember clearly what came next. I hurried back to my office, gathered everyone I could find and exclaimed, "The world has changed; education, business, everything... I promise you." Little did I know!

Since that time I have been an avid promoter for computers and the Internet. There have been lots of ups and downs, and a few times when I almost lost my faith. For example, I have never lost sight of the fact that, like almost anything, bad things can come from the Internet in the hands of bad people. Nevertheless, the good for which it can be used surely outweighs its potential for evil.

My study of the psychology of aging has led me to conclude that the main concern for our aging population is not for their health. Actually, the primary concern for older folks is to some extent a result of their health, combined with the expectations about getting older that we learned as we were growing up. Most of us came to believe that growing older is just the last stage in the process of dying. When we believe this, we inevitably permit our support systems to decline. Some of this breakdown is real: our spouse passes away, our friends get sick, friends die, our children grow up and have lives of their own, or we move. At this critical time we cannot afford to ignore the fact that society and technology can provide new and creative means of support and connectedness. We must enjoy them during the additional years that our newfound longevity allots to us. Otherwise,, our outdated expectations will kill us, mentally, emotionally, and then physically.

When this happens it is a real misfortune, because the potential new future for aging is real and it is available now. It involves seniors on computers, aging at home, remaining a part of society, continuing to be employed and being really connected. My evangelistic message always ends the same way: make converts! Seek out your aging friends and family and nourish them with technology like you would nourish them with food if they were starving.

For more information about senior citizens and technology see:

Senior Technology News!

Senior Computing: An Internet Computer Class for Senior Citizens