At the exponential rate that technology is advancing in the 21st century, it is inevitable that there will come a day when even millennials will be unfamiliar with the latest technology. For older generations that aren’t as used to technology like iPhones, computers and tablets today, there is help — and that help may come in the form of a Colorado State University Human Development and Family Studies student.
CSU students enrolled in Professor Christine Fruhauf’s Perspectives in Gerontology class volunteered to help seniors better understand their devices at the Fort Collins Senior Center Saturday morning. Gerontology is the scientific study of age and the aging process.
The event was also sponsored by the Front Range PC Users Group, which is a “learning resource for all things digital,” according to their website.
Seniors who brought their tablets and phones were able to sit one-on-one with students at workshops and were shown how to save and take pictures, create photo albums, upload photos to iCloud and social media sites and upload mobile pictures to a computer, among other things.
Photos are often the best way that the elderly can stay connected with their family members, especially on social media.
“It’s important because older adults become isolated. If we help them to become tech-savvy, then they’re able to stay connected with their family even if they can’t physically be with them,” said Shandell Leyba, a senior social work major. “Personally, I use photos to stay connected with my grandparents.”
For the senior citizens who attended, they were happy they did.
“The younger generation grew up with these machines and have been on the front end of the evolution of these machines, while I’ve been on the back end of the evolution of these machines,” said Fort Collins resident Glenn Riedell. “I’m still very logical and sequential, so learning the intuitive side is a big plus. The students (here today) have a fresh perspective and have been very accommodating. They’re not judgmental.”
Collegian Diversity Beat Reporter Clarissa Davies can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @DaviesClarissa.
