Residents of a senior living community in Hastings, Nebraska, are toasting a new technology literacy program created specifically for them. It's called “Appy Hour” and is held at your local library.
Seniors in Hastings were recently taught how to install and utilize smartphone tools, according to local reports.
As older adults increasingly embrace technology as part of their daily lives, whether within long-term care facilities or outside of the larger community, the importance of technology literacy and education programs continues to grow. .
Unfortunately, technology literacy is also becoming more important for older adults to protect against new and more sophisticated threats, such as cyber fraud and deepfakes that use artificial intelligence to imitate family members and government officials.
In Colorado Springs, Colorado, 300 miles west of Hastings, another technology literacy program specifically focused on cyber fraud awareness was recently launched.
Older Adults Technology Services, a training program run by AARP, launched in October in partnership with Silver Key Senior Services to offer a free educational curriculum.
Classes will be taught from Silver Key's new digital experience hub. Seniors who have taken the course so far say they want to become more independent and stop relying on caregivers or family members to guide them when it comes to using their mobile phones or going online.
OATS has launched programs for seniors across the country. Most recently, OATS opened the Senior Planet Center in Miami. Earlier this month, the facility began offering multilingual courses on technology literacy for seniors.
California has a similar program that combines technical training with expanded broadband access. McKnight's Tech Daily Recently reported.
Both education and gender continue to be factors in determining technology familiarity among older adults in the United States. Even with the emergence of AI-powered devices marketed to seniors and older adults, questions remain about how user-friendly those devices are, age technology experts say.
