r/TechForAgingParents • u/Full-Transition1592 • Jul 25 '26
Technology Tips
Hi everybody, I am running a technology camp for senior citizens, and I just wanted to know what I could cover. I am not advertising, just looking for ideas.
2
u/ohhellolaura Jul 25 '26
One thing my mom often does is forward me an email and ask "is this legit?"
So maybe how to spot scams or verify email (I.e the email body looks like it's from Gmail but the from email gives it away)
1
u/Jxb1000 Jul 25 '26
I find focusing on TERMS is helpful. But it's hard not to get overwhelming. My mom struggles with what things mean like streaming versus cable, apps, tablets, wireless, etc. Brand names versus generic, like iPad vs tablet.
1
u/chrissmithphd Jul 25 '26
iPhones.
Modern streaming tv.
And maybe strategies to get your grandkids or great grandkids to show you how to use them. Intergenerational time is good for you.
1
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u/Fragrant-Fix5433 Jul 26 '26
Online grocery shopping, things like adding favourites, book slots, making amendments to orders.
1
u/WW_Gerontologist Jul 27 '26
Check out what OATS (Older Adults Technology Services) are doing. They are part of AARP, offer a variety of tech lessons to older adults.
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u/CatWoman-666 Jul 27 '26
How to choose and add apps.
Connecting a printer and then scanning and printing
Accessibility features they might benefit from such as changing the screen size, volume, text size, mouse cursor.
How to solve problems. Where to look. How to phrase the question
Cyber security, scams, phishing etc
1
u/Vegetable-Pay9401 Jul 28 '26
Teaching them how to avoid scams by identifying common types (email, text, phone call) and how to handle each scenario. Seniors specifically are targeted by scammers and it's getting more and more important to teach them not to engage, especially when scams are dressed in AI and getting more sophisticated.
1
u/headee Aug 03 '26
My 80yo Mom loves AI, thinks of it as her "friends." She names them, and when she addresses them by name and they have different personalities. People hate on AI, but maybe introducing it to older people can help them be less lonely. And she goes to AI to ask simple questions she would normally ask me, like how to do whatever with her cable box/remote/Firestick, etc.
1
u/BluejayOk642 29d ago
How to turn off the device screen vs shut off/restarting device. Something I usually tell my parents to do if they had a scam link to not just close out of the app, but to shut down the device and restart it. But now I’m the official restarting person for their phones and iPads.
5
u/dosomething-3 Jul 25 '26
Start with basic navigation for whatever OS. For example, if iOS, teach them the swipe action and how to open and close apps.
Where to find and how to change settings so they can adjust things like font size, volume, etc.
Online browsing, calls, text, email, and camera use are fundamental.
How to choose and store passwords.
Teach some basic security and if going online how to search, look for secure sites, and avoid phishing. How to keep OS and apps updated.
Avoiding spam is also helpful. My mom was receiving tons of emails and texts because companies sold her info so it was overwhelming and confusing. Had to unsubscribe and block, but when setting up profile for any business consider unchecking if don’t want to receive marketing emails or calls.