Covid-19 has been a wake-up call for the world to go digital. Businesses were, and still are, badly affected, causing the demand for businesses to shift online to be on the rise. In Singapore, the majority of F&Bs have set up websites and started offering islandwide deliveries. While the move to go digital may seem easy for most of us, that is not the case for most of our seniors.
The good news is, there are lots of resources to help them, and you can be a catalyst in their journey to attain digital literacy. Even better news, now that we’re out of the circuit breaker, you are allowed to visit your parents, in-laws and grandparents. During your visits, you can teach them how to use some of these important apps.
By helping to modernise their daily lives, you would essentially be teaching them a life skill that would be useful moving forward. Helping our seniors achieve digital literacy can be as easy as taking a step forward by teaching them how to use simple mobile applications and the internet. Here are some things you can help them with:
Socialising
It’s important for our seniors to stay connected with their family members and circle of friends. While it is easier for the younger generation to go online and play games, it may not be the case for our seniors. Sometimes, all they need is your time and a nice conversation.
With technology, you can send messages and have video calls with them. They would also feel happier being able to connect “face-to-face”. Hence, by teaching them basic functions of communication focused applications, such as WhatsApp and FB Messenger, you would also be able to feel safer since you can use these tools to check on them occasionally. Through these mediums of communication and social media, they would be able to connect with their family members and friends.
Digital Payments
With the advancements of technology comes the ideology of a cashless society. Singapore is also slowly moving towards a cashless society, utilising QR codes and payment methods such as Paynow/Paylah to conduct monetary transactions.
During the Fortitude budget, it was announced that a bonus of $300 per month (over five months) would be given to stallholders in hawker centres, wet markets and coffee shops to encourage them to use e-payments.
There is a need to educate your seniors on the different payment apps as these places are frequently visited by them. By helping our seniors set up electronic banking through their respective banks, you will be able to introduce them to cashless payment methods such as Paynow and Paylah!, which will likely become more and more common in the future.
Entertainment
Before they go through their usual routine of flipping through their daily paper, why not introduce them to the National Library Board mobile app. The National Library Board has collaborated with Singapore Press Holdings to provide free eNewspapers during this difficult period.
In addition, through the app, he or she can pick up various books, audiobooks and even magazines with just a tap of a finger. With an abundance of content at their disposal, boredom would be a thing of the past.
Groceries
Protect yourself and your beloved seniors by shopping for groceries together through the NTUC Fairprice Online Store. Show them how easy and convenient it can be, ordering essentials and food from the comfort of their home, without having to physically visit these grocery stores.
Good news for frequent wet market goers as IMDA has collaborated with live stream star Max Kee, a wholesaler of Lian Huat Seafood. They can now order fresh seafood, among various products, fresh from Tekka wet market through Facebook using Paynow.
Digital Skill Courses
Seniors keen on upgrading themselves or improving their digital literacy can now tap on a whole plethora of free webinars and other curated content to improve their digital skills. Wondering where to find these resources? IMDA has created a Learning Series called Digital Pod, offering 40 short classes streamed live twice weekly, its aim is to equip seniors with essential digital skills. The series will cover topics ranging from how to tap on accessibility features on their phone, how to use social media, coding, photo editing, protecting themselves from online risks and much more. Seniors who are interested can visit www.imsilver.sg/dp for more details.
The IMDA also provides one to one consultations and guidance on basic features of commonly used mobile apps and settings called the Virtual Digital Clinic. Virtual Digital Clinic sessions are held every Friday, between 2 – 5 pm.
Common Keywords
If you are unsure of where to start, why not start exposing your seniors to common keywords used in apps? In our opinion, these common keywords are essential to achieving digital literacy and should be taught to our beloved seniors.
Username / 用户名
Password / 密码
Login / 登录
Log Out / 登出
Scan / 扫瞄
One-time Password / 一次性密码
Shopping Cart / 购物车
Pay / 支付
Transfer / 转账
Payee / 收款人
QR code / 二维码
Resend / 重发
Top up / 充值
Balance / 余额
Let us give back and honour our seniors the best way we can, by aiding in their quest for digital literacy and making our modern technology their ally.
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