Last week, while holidaying in Charlotte Pass, I was amused by the conversations happening around me at the breakfast table. The women sitting either side of me were discussing their accomplishments and habits in regard to using technology.
“Have you tried checking your calendar on your phone whilst talking to someone on the phone?” asks Marg.
“Yes, I have” responds a very proud Maggie.
Ruth, Maggie and Marg continued to compare their digital skills as I sat and listened in awe. Whilst they were chastising themselves for not being good enough, I was so impressed that they were all banking online and trusting technology enough to give it a go.
Maggie and Ruth discuss the virtues of having an iPad. Maggie explains, “I do like reading but I don’t like collecting books because they’re heavy and every time you move it just about kills you. So, I much prefer downloading them. If you’re going away with your iPad, you can take as many books with you as you want to.” She goes on, “it will be the middle of the night and I can’t sleep, and I think I’ll just see what’s available, so I download books left right and centre.”
I loved the way they were sharing their knowledge with each other and pondered how there could be more opportunities created for peer learning amongst older Australians who live with a digital phobia preventing them from getting the full benefits of being online.
These women give me hope! – Cecily Michaels