Editor’s note: The article was originally published by Kristina Jackson on Nebraska Today. https://news.unl.edu/article/students-boost-knowledge-of-digital-landscape-for-area-seniors
In a time when technology is always changing and more things are moving online, University of Nebraska–Lincoln students are helping the community learn more about their personal devices and how to use them.
University students have been volunteering with Aging Partners of Lincoln, holding monthly digital literacy workshops to help area seniors navigate their phones, laptops or other digital devices and the evolving digital landscape. Ben Middendorf, Victory Park Senior Center manager with Aging Partners, said one-on-one sessions with students help the seniors feel more self-sufficient.
“You have doctor’s offices that are providing, by default, medical records online,” Middendorf said. “So many things are moving to the digital realm, so they need to be literate to be able to navigate it and to feel in control…And we could all use more intergenerational opportunities. Having more interaction between generations is really beneficial.”
Seniors are able to bring in whatever device they would like help with and sit down with a student one-on-one to look for a solution. Often this can be issues like how to connect to a Wi-Fi network, how to access an email account or digital tickets, or how to utilize an application like FaceTime for video calls.
“You would think the only reason would be to understand how to operate their smart phone, and that’s true, but the other reason is having that intergenerational contact with the students,” said Beth Schuster, community activities and services supervisor for Aging Partners. “They feel like they’re going out and learning on their own. It makes them feel independent.”
The digital literacy workshops are one of the volunteering opportunities included in Engage Lincoln. Engage Lincoln, held the last week of every month and organized by Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement, is a chance for students to help a wide range of community organizations. Groups visit a different local nonprofit every day to help with whatever the organizations communicate their needs are at the time.
“The community has that voice, and we’re just responding to that goal,” said Andrew Brown, assistant director of community engagement for SLICE.
Aging Partners started the digital literacy workshops around two years ago with a grant from AARP, and students have been helping run them since the early days. Middendorf said the students are “digital natives” and some of these tasks are second nature to them, but the digital literacy event is an opportunity to bolster communication skills. For the seniors, it gives them an avenue to ask questions about their actual everyday needs when it comes to technology.
“It can be as simple as, ‘I want to find out where my photos are going when I save them from my email,’” Middendorf said. “Oftentimes it’s general web browsing. It’s very driven by the senior themselves.”
The center also incorporates information about avoiding digital frauds and scams. They provide information about how to recognize signs of a scam and how to prevent someone from stealing personal information.
“It’s a teaching thing, makes them more comfortable with their electronics, so somebody knows what they need to look for,” Schuster said. “It’s a way to take control of these scams and frauds.”
Jace Fitzgerald, a freshman business administration major from Bennington, Nebraska, taught a woman how to connect to hotel wi-fi, other connections and how to access airline tickets for an upcoming overseas trip. He said the experience helped him see how useful the information is.
“Technology is always advancing,” Fitzgerald said. “You always get new updates. They grew up not using this stuff before like we have, and a lot of stuff is going online.”
Brown said the students gain connections and form bonds with the broader Lincoln community. He said conversations between, for example, a Husker student and an alumnus, can form strong relationships.
“I’ve heard some meetings last for like an hour,” Brown said. “They’re helping them through a couple different things and then the rest of the time they’re just chatting. They’re talking about life stories.”
