5 Tips for Helping Boomers with Technology
I’ve done computer training in over-55 communities, and although it is sometimes frustrating, it is also rewarding. Most Boomers, especially those over seventy, have not embraced technology. They don’t like it and don’t trust it. On the other hand, they understand that they may be missing out on photos of their grandchildren and all the great information on the Web. They are caught at an intersection between a knowledge gap and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
Points to Remember
Boomers grew up with typewriters; personal computers are a relatively late entry into their lives. A person born in 1946, the first of the “Boomer Years,” was thirty-six in 1982. The first Website went live in 1991 when these folks were forty-five. Concepts like CTRL P and operating systems have no context, no hook for them to grab. Computer language is as foreign to them as Tajik. When you say “operating system” they hear this: изоми амал. That’s important to understand when you’re explaining how to do something, especially if you’re doing it over the phone.
Boomers also face these issues:
- Many Boomers are frightened by the “data stolen” and “identities stolen” headlines. Throw in “ransomware” and “spam,” and it’s no wonder they are hesitant to go online.
