3 min.
Adopt a Digital Grandson and Internet will no longer hold any secrets
Courses for elders held by students kick-off in 150 Italian schools
by Federico Taddia
La Stampa, 12 March 2012, pg. 23
I don’t know if computers have changed my life, but they keep me in touch with the world and make me independent. I wish I had one when I was young, so that I could now use it and not get all confused with e-mails, attachments and images that don’t download.
Maria Di Caro (81) uses a mouse with the same ease as she plays cards. She’s one of our elder computer whizzes and together with 4000 other elders (65+) participates in the “Grandparents on the Internet” Project, an innovative course held in over 150 Italian schools, where 3000 middle and high school students introduce elders to the digital world and teach them the basics of computer use.
“In Europe, one out of every 5 people is older than 65. In Italy, there are 144 elders to every 100 young people. Those becoming elders with technological notions are at greatest risk of social exclusion,” explains Mirta Michilli, Director General of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale, a foundation that works to introduce new technologies and has trained over 12000 elders to use PCs and the Internet. “The project format is very simple. Local schools provide their computer labs and we train the teachers and students that will tutor the elders.” The course, which lasts 30 hours, takes place over the course of a school year and the programme ranges from how to turn a PC on to the use of Skype, via Internet navigation, the use of e-mail and the management of photos.
“One of the first things that they ask you is now to receive and send e-mails,” explains Chiara Fucilli (16), a tutor at the Liceo Classico Socrate in Rome. They are extremely fascinated by being able to communicate with a son or distant relative without having to use a letter or phone. They really are very intuitive. They have a few problems with Powerpoint and saving images as they have to remember a longer series of steps, but once they get the hang of it and are no longer afraid of their computer, they learn very quickly. I find this a fantastic experience because it reverses our roles. The elders turn into kids on we become the "wise" elders. There are a few recommendations indicated in the Young Tutor's Manual that must be followed, like being courteous and polite, allow them to use the keyboard and learn from their mistakes, don't use modern slang or technical vocabulary and don't get mad at them if they make a mistake.
“The true success of our courses can be found in the bond that grows between the young students and the grandparents,” Mirta adds. “Many of them become true friends and the “digital grandson” becomes a reference point for the use of their home computers.” There is even hope that a social network may be created specifically for elders. “Thanks to the Internet I now know everything about my husband’s gout, I can see how are bank account is doing and I always know what is happening in the world,” explains Grandma Maria. “It would be great to have a Facebook for elders, although I do prefer speaking to younger people!”
Read the article[pdf, in Italian]
