Noah O’Ryan had confirmed his dentist’s appointment via text and planned to pay the copay online. Day-to-day tasks are faster than ever with the tap of a phone screen.
But O’Ryan says that for many seniors technology is a “completely foreign concept” that makes this supposedly simple task feel impossible. That’s why he and his team at AARP’s nonprofit Senior Planet are working to close this digital divide by teaching Montgomery County seniors the ins and outs of their devices.
“We live in an increasingly digital age and our organization has seen that seniors are often left behind as that gap grows,” says O’Ryan, the regional program director for Senior Planet. “Seniors deserve to have this knowledge and not be left behind.”
For the past seven years, Senior Planet has taught residents how to connect to Wi-Fi; make Google searches; use Facebook Messenger, Zoom and social media; send emails and texts; shop online; use Google Translate; and spot internet scams, all in classes funded by Montgomery County Department of Technology Services.
Since last year, the nonprofit organization has partnered with the nonprofit Vietnamese American Services, which serves Vietnamese Americans in the DMV area.
Kevin Tran, a part-time instructor for Senior Planet, teaches these classes primarily in Vietnamese. Each Friday morning class is a one-hour lecture on a specific topic followed by a hands-on portion, which draws about eight to 15 participants who are eager to learn.
Before she began taking these weekly classes, Toan Nguyen, a 75-year-old resident of North Potomac, was unable to connect face-to-face with friends in her native Vietnam.
“I was sad before because in the past, I only knew how to use my phone to call — just audio,” Nguyen says*. “I didn’t really know the internet or platforms like Facebook Messenger, so being able to learn about that, I’m able to talk to my friends who I haven’t talked to in a long time, or video call people in different states or different countries. It’s something I’m very grateful and happy about.”
Her new technological knowledge has also allowed Nguyen to connect with her grandchildren who live in California.
Nguyen says her life is made a lot easier because of Google Translate; she can communicate with doctors about her medical information and people in her day-to-day life: “I just really appreciate learning Google Translate.”
“In the past, I wasn’t able to communicate whenever I go on the street, and being able to use that platform now, I’m able to just write things in Vietnamese and then translate,” Nguyen says. “Being able to communicate with others using Google Translate has been tremendous.”
In 2019, adults age 65 and older made up 16% of Montgomery County’s population. That percentage is expected to rise to more than 20% by 2040, according to a trend report by Montgomery Planning.
AARP research tells us that 64% of adults age 50 and older are feeling the impacts of the digital divide, noting they don’t feel that technology was created with their age in mind.
The team at Senior Planet felt that a technology teaching program was necessary because of the ever-increasing presence of electronics, such as online banking tools and streaming and smart TVs.
“I feel like this age group, when it comes to technology, they definitely feel left out,” Tran says. “There’s not a lot of resources or classes that focus specifically on this group.”
For many Senior Planet participants, the last time they’ve taken a class was decades ago in college or a short-term art class for leisure. The Senior Planet classes are designed specifically for seniors with this gap in mind.
“Once you graduate college, what else is there, you know?” O’Ryan asks. “I graduated college a few years ago and I’ve taken some random classes, but not as many as when that was all I did every day.”
He hopes that Senior Planet is changing lives for the better, helping seniors use modern technology to enrich their lives. One participant who took an iPad course delved into the world of online recipes and was able to email recipe links to a family member in New York: “She was having a lot of fun with that,” O’Ryan says.
Tran says not only do local seniors learn many applicable skills through Senior Planet, they also make friends and have a weekly opportunity to socialize with others in their age group.
And they’ve enjoyed working with Tran.
“My experience, especially with this community, is that they’re just so grateful,” Tran says. “I feel like they get so excited every time I come in every Friday. That’s been really fun to see them progress or their interest in technology [grow] throughout as they’re using it and learning all these different apps.”
*This interview was conducted with the help of Kevin Tran, who translated between English and Vietnamese.
