Bridging the Digital Divide
I have a friend who just got back from visiting his parents in Florida. When I asked how his trip was, he admitted to spending most of his time fixing their computer, setting up their smartphones, and giving them a tutorial on all things streaming. While it’s a cliche to say that older people struggle with technology, it is a fact, and one that became increasingly evident during the pandemic.
When the world shut down and it wasn’t considered safe to meet with friends and family or even to go shopping, those of us who are more technologically savvy were able to turn to digital tools to help make the best of it. We streamed buzzworthy shows like Tiger King to keep us entertained, we helped transform Zoom from a noun into a verb, book groups and cocktails with friends went online and we connected with others through social media. If we weren’t doing so already, we began ordering groceries online for home delivery or curbside pickup.
Consider, though, the older adults in our lives who didn’t have access to these technologies or who had access but didn’t know how to use them. While quarantine wasn’t easy on most of us, it was more difficult for older people for two primary reasons; they were more at risk of serious illness, and they weren’t able to connect with others the same way younger people were due to the digital divide. In October of 2020, the Kaiser Family foundation reported increased feelings of loneliness, isolation, and depression amongst older Americans as a direct result of the pandemic. In addition, the CDC has reported that social isolation is proven to increase premature death and negatively impact quality of life, including an increased risk of heart disease and a 50% increase in the risk of dementia.
In addition to feeling less connected, also consider the struggles older adults had registering for a vaccine when it became available. Given that those looking for a vaccine had to register online for an appointment, and have an email address, many seniors–the group prioritized by the federal government to be one of the first in line for a vaccine given their higher risk of serious illness and death–had the most trouble signing up for it, which just goes to show that my father was right after all, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Most of you know SilverSource as an organization that helps seniors in our community find affordable housing, improve food security, and provide transportation to doctor’s appointments and help with prescription affordability. In short, SilverSource provides a safety net for seniors in need. However, our mission doesn’t stop there. We’ve recognized that we can play a role in helping bridge the digital divide, which is why I’m so excited to announce that we have received a $50,000 grant from the Southwestern CT Agency on Aging (SWCAA) for our Digital Education Access Project.
This grant will be used to enhance broadband Internet access at Willard Manor, a senior housing site in Stamford. In addition, it will help to supply 30 participants with low-cost Chromebooks as well as train the seniors on how to log onto the Internet and access helpful online resources.
Our goal is to help older residents better participate in everyday activities, from shopping, checking on the baseball scores and communicating with loved ones, to managing personal health by connecting with their doctor virtually through telehealth. We are excited that this initiative will help create equity amongst low-income seniors in our increasingly digital age. Being able to use the Internet goes well beyond recreation–though we are curious as to what seniors might think of Joe Exotic–it is now a vital lifeline for the healthy functioning of everyday life.
We are happy to have taken this first step to bridging the digital divide amongst seniors in our community and look forward to sharing stories about how this program is impacting their lives. Be on the lookout for those in this blog, and through our social media accounts, in the coming months.
