It is irrefutable that the young generation today are technophiles and are very comfortable
with mobile phones and internet whereas the elderly are uneasy with the latest
technological devices. This essay shall delve into how the mobile phone and internet could
be useful for the senior citizens and ways to encourage them to use such technology.
Mobile phones and internet could be beneficial to old people in various ways. To begin with,
we all know that a major problem the elderly face is of social isolation. Nuclear families
predominate these days and even in nuclear families, children have to leave their parents to
seek greener pastures abroad. Through mobile phones the elderly can connect with their
kith and kin who live far away from them. For example, through the internet, they can chat
with their grandchildren and also see them through web camera.
Furthermore, the elderly face a lot of health problems. Through mobile phone they can any
time call the ambulance or their relatives and get timely medical help. Through the internet
they can get consultation of any doctor in any part of the world by showing their digital x-
ray or MRI scan. Another advantage of such technology to the elderly is that they can
entertain themselves through these gadgets. They have a lot of free time and they can listen
to religious hymns, visit sacred and holy places on the net which they can’t otherwise visit
because of failing health. They can also do net-banking, online shopping and also book their
rail tickets and air tickets online.
There are a lot of ways to motivate the elderly to use these equipments. Firstly, they can be
made aware of the various ways such things can help them. The government and NGOs can
open free training centres to appraise them with this technology. Grandchildren can teach
their grandparents about these gadgets. Too many features on mobile phones deter the
elderly from using them. So, user-friendly models could be made especially for them. Finally,
these gadgets could be made available to the elderly at subsidized rates.
To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that there is an unending list of how mobile phones
and internet could help the elderly but a little effort is required to make them techno-savvy.