Seniors get a crash course in using smartphones
Priya.Menon@timesgroup.com
Chennai: 24.05.2018
The classroom you walk into is different from any that you have ever seen. The teacher looks on indulgently as everyone peers into their cellphones. And every student in the room is well over 60.
HelpAgeIndia’sfour-daycoursefor senior citizens on ‘How To Use Smartphones’ is in progress at Nimmadhi War Widows Welfare Association in RA Puram, and 35 eager students have signed up. Eight-two-year-old Padma Sudarshan, for instance, has come armed with her daughter’s smartphone. “Once I learn how to use it, I am going to buy my own device,” says Padma, who is more interested in learning how to use Ola and What’sApp.
“I like to go everywhere on my own and it willbeeasier onceIlearn touse an app tobook an auto or cab,” says bright-eyed Padma, who has a passion for mastering all things new. Padma who secured a PhD at 70 authored a book at 80.
With an app for everything, many senior citizens are now keen on learning to use a smartphone. And that’s why HelpAge has been organising similar workshops in various parts of the city. “Many elderly people are fondof gadgets andwhile peoplein thefamily may gift them phones, not everyone has the time or patience to teach them how to use it, especially as elderly people take time to learn,” says R Muthukrishnan, senior manager, HelpAge, who conducts the classes.
Jessie Rajashekharan, 73, is still struggling to use her phone for the last three years. “I use it only to make calls but I want to learnt to use all the apps, send photos and documents,” she says, admitting that she is curious about the social media too. HelpAge has been conducting classesin Anna Nagar every monthfor thelastone-and-a-half years aswell as in Naganallur. For the last three months, they have been conducting the course in Nimmadhi as well, with the present batch beginning on Tuesday.
“The first day we teach them basic things such as how to switch their phone on and off, send a text message etc,” says Muthukrishnan. The second day covers how to use apps such as WhatsApp, Ola, Uber, and online shopping apps, while the third day covers mobile wallets, online banking etc. On the final day,seniors aretaughthowto makeutility bill payments. On Wednesday morning, Muthukrishnan was busy explaining how to use the app store/ play store. “It’s a shop, like Saravana Stores,” he says, demonstrating how to tap on icons to get more information about each app and the rating. “The rating shows you how good it is. Download only those you need and only those which are free,” he warns.
Most people, like Natarajan Jayaraman, 78, are interested in learning how to use Ola, PayTM, and WhatsApp. “Smartphones are now a partof life and makeiteasier.AndI also want to listen to music on my phone,” he says, as he sits in the front row, gripping the device he got just four days ago.
The savvier ones have come to update their knowledge. “I have been using it for the past five years,” says 68-year-old V Krishnamurthy, whose last job was teaching space engineering at a university. “But there must be a lotof featuresI am not aware about andIwant to use it fully.”
The course is on from 10:30am to 12:30pm till May 25.
SMART MOVE: Two senior citizens at a ‘ class’ in R A Puram on Wednesday
Priya.Menon@timesgroup.com
Chennai: 24.05.2018
The classroom you walk into is different from any that you have ever seen. The teacher looks on indulgently as everyone peers into their cellphones. And every student in the room is well over 60.
HelpAgeIndia’sfour-daycoursefor senior citizens on ‘How To Use Smartphones’ is in progress at Nimmadhi War Widows Welfare Association in RA Puram, and 35 eager students have signed up. Eight-two-year-old Padma Sudarshan, for instance, has come armed with her daughter’s smartphone. “Once I learn how to use it, I am going to buy my own device,” says Padma, who is more interested in learning how to use Ola and What’sApp.
“I like to go everywhere on my own and it willbeeasier onceIlearn touse an app tobook an auto or cab,” says bright-eyed Padma, who has a passion for mastering all things new. Padma who secured a PhD at 70 authored a book at 80.
With an app for everything, many senior citizens are now keen on learning to use a smartphone. And that’s why HelpAge has been organising similar workshops in various parts of the city. “Many elderly people are fondof gadgets andwhile peoplein thefamily may gift them phones, not everyone has the time or patience to teach them how to use it, especially as elderly people take time to learn,” says R Muthukrishnan, senior manager, HelpAge, who conducts the classes.
Jessie Rajashekharan, 73, is still struggling to use her phone for the last three years. “I use it only to make calls but I want to learnt to use all the apps, send photos and documents,” she says, admitting that she is curious about the social media too. HelpAge has been conducting classesin Anna Nagar every monthfor thelastone-and-a-half years aswell as in Naganallur. For the last three months, they have been conducting the course in Nimmadhi as well, with the present batch beginning on Tuesday.
“The first day we teach them basic things such as how to switch their phone on and off, send a text message etc,” says Muthukrishnan. The second day covers how to use apps such as WhatsApp, Ola, Uber, and online shopping apps, while the third day covers mobile wallets, online banking etc. On the final day,seniors aretaughthowto makeutility bill payments. On Wednesday morning, Muthukrishnan was busy explaining how to use the app store/ play store. “It’s a shop, like Saravana Stores,” he says, demonstrating how to tap on icons to get more information about each app and the rating. “The rating shows you how good it is. Download only those you need and only those which are free,” he warns.
Most people, like Natarajan Jayaraman, 78, are interested in learning how to use Ola, PayTM, and WhatsApp. “Smartphones are now a partof life and makeiteasier.AndI also want to listen to music on my phone,” he says, as he sits in the front row, gripping the device he got just four days ago.
The savvier ones have come to update their knowledge. “I have been using it for the past five years,” says 68-year-old V Krishnamurthy, whose last job was teaching space engineering at a university. “But there must be a lotof featuresI am not aware about andIwant to use it fully.”
The course is on from 10:30am to 12:30pm till May 25.
SMART MOVE: Two senior citizens at a ‘ class’ in R A Puram on Wednesday
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