Get friendly personal help, such as from a grandchild, to help you learn tech-related things. Photos: 123rf.com
In the office, there’s always someone who will set up new tech, and give a quick tutorial. It’s easy and we learn without thinking too much about it.
After retirement, staying current with the latest tools may not seem important. However, scientists point out there is a link between retirement, tech use and mental health.
Retirement disrupts relationships, pushing us into new and unfamiliar routines. That transition can lead to feeling disconnected and even loneliness.
Ideally, we keep in touch with old friends and make new ones. If you have a coffee shop set up downstairs and you’re in good health, you’re set.
But if you are not living near family and friends, keeping in contact inevitably includes a smartphone and apps.
As the technology changes and keep changing, are we in danger of ageing out from the ability to connect?
The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) collects micro data from people in 19 European countries and Israel, aged 50 or over every few years.
A 2021 study by Dr Danilo Cavapozzi, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and Dr Chiara Dal Bianco, University of Padua, Italy, used SHARE data from 12,512 men and 14,411 women seniors.
Their analysis showed that all retirees typically have fewer computer skills and they are using the Internet less than the rest of the population. Also, skills and use decline after three years of retirement.
A 2020 study by Dr Alexander Seifert, the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and Dr Shelia Cotten, Michigan State University, the United States, analysed tech use by 940 care home residents in Zurich. They found 21% used the Internet, 13% used smartphones and 5% used tablets.
Although the researchers expected physical health, life satisfaction and autonomy to influence tech use and skill, this was not so. However, interest in technology was a significant factor.
In Malaysia, a 2023 study led by Dr Nurul Hidayah Md Fadzil, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, examined the tech use habits of 476 seniors aged 67+. They found that 73% access the Internet regularly, with 63.4% using it for family chat, 33.6% reading online news, and 27.7% shopping and 30.7% cruising websites.
This suggests more than one in four older Malaysians are not using the Internet regularly, and only two in three use tech to chat with family.
So, are we doomed to be out-of-touch dinosaurs, stuck on one side of the generational divide? No way!
A 2022 study led by Dr Ooi Chia-Sin from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Malaysia, talked in-depth to 12 Malaysians aged 60+ about their social media app use. Although it was a small study, this confirms larger studies elsewhere.
First, get a techie to set up your phone or tab. Test it to make sure it works. When you’re set, follow this four-point programme.
1. Watch and copy. We learn best from observation, followed by experimentation. So shoulder surf as a friend works it. Then have them watch you as you check it out.
2. Focus on a hobby. The more fun you have, the easier it is to learn. Therefore, try to connect the new tool to your favourite hobby. If you love to cook, find recipes, chats with chefs, and so on. If it’s sport, be sure to focus on football, cricket and connecting with other fans.
If you love to cook, use a tech gadget to find recipes, cooking tutorials, and so on.
3. Source tech help. Reading a manual can work, but the most effective troubleshooting comes from having friendly personal help. Before you start, source warm, personal support. As it can be a big job, consider offering an incentive of pocket money if it’s a young family member.
4. Practice makes perfect. Studies show that seniors who use the new tech regularly don’t just stop – they also forget what they learned. Therefore, use the new tool every day until it becomes a habit, and then your knowledge will stick too. Science suggests that using a new tool every day for 60 to 90 days should make it a solid habit.
Ellen Whyte is a British-registered counsellor and psychotherapist who has a soft spot for cats. She founded an online practice in 2016, and works with clients in 20+ countries. Email ellen.whyte@gmail.com
