Seniors Can Stay Connected With These Tech Tools It’s no secret that many seniors are shy around technology. It’s also perfectly understandable – the digital world advanced at a break-neck pace, and for several years the time it took to get comfortable with one piece of technology was just long enough for something new to come out. This is compounded by some of the challenges that come hand in hand with age – worsening sight and hearing can put a damper on the excitement of a new tech toy. However, today’s technology has reached a point where going without is really doing yourself a disservice. COVID-19 has made it dangerous to meet in person, but tech tools like video chat and online calling help us reconnect. Not only that, but technology has become far more senior friendly. There is a whole world of tools out there that will keep you connected with your loved ones from a safe distance. Here’s a look at how to get started: Start With Safety In the rest of this article, we’re going to introduce you to some of the best devices for staying in touch with your loved ones. First, however, we should address digital safety and security. Seniors are often targets of sophisticated scams disguised as emails from a friend or a warning message from your computer. They start familiar as a way to ease you into trusting them as a recipient of wired money or personal information. Many people fall prey to this kind of scam every year, but you can avoid it with good digital security practices: ● Don’t open links or attachments in an email unless you know the sender and expect the email. If it’s a surprise message from someone you know, call the sender using a number you already have to check that they actually sent it. Never use phone numbers provided in the email itself. ● Use a password manager. These programs are a great way to improve digital security while making your life easier. Store all your passwords inside an encrypted program, and use one, super-secure password to access them all. All your passwords are protected, and you only have to remember one! ● If you plan to use video calling, invest in a camera cover. You should keep your laptop or tablet’s camera covered any time it’s not in use. Best Devices for Video Chat Tablets, laptops, and smartphones are typically equipped with a camera you can use for video chat. However, these video chat tools are not created equally. Something with a larger screen, such as a tablet, tends to serve seniors better than a small phone screen. This is ideal for seniors with vision issues, or those who just want to be able to take everything in. If you’re hard of hearing, wearing a headset while you video chat can help. This funnels the audio directly into your ear and blocks out distracting noise in your environment. Boost Your Home’s IQ Smart home tech such as smart hubs often come with screens that allow you to video call friends and family. You can easily get these calls going via voice control, so it’s more accessible to seniors who struggle with arthritis or carpal tunnel. Smart home tech can improve several other aspects of your life as well, from making it easy to listen to whatever music you’d like to allowing you to turn lights on and off with a word. Embrace Your Inner Gamer Though we don’t often think of seniors and video games, gaming actually has a lot to offer people of any age. For starters, studies have shown that playing video games in your golden years improves memory and cognitive function. Moreover, you can hop on an online game and play with friends and family! COVID-19 has made our lives more complicated, especially when it comes to seeing our loved ones. We hope this article has inspired you to try out a new form of digital connection. We may be apart, but we don’t have to be alone. Another way to stay connected is to create your life story with mylivinglegacy.net. Make it a part of your bucket list.
