Seniors Using Technology to Help Those in Need

During the last presidential election, a friend of mine pointed out that a huge proportion of the information that was available about candidates and campaigns was only accessible via the Web.  We shared several gripe sessions about how this might interfere with participation by older adults in public affairs.  Since most seniors are still not regular Internet users, we worried that the technology gap was undermining the ability of older individuals to make change in the world around them.

But lately I've encountered a few examples that suggest seniors may be getting more comfortable using technology for social action.  The most powerful moments came during the initial response to the Haitian earthquake.  The day after the quake, I was at the Robert Couche Senior Center in Queens doing an Internet Safety workshop with June Jee from the Verizon Foundation.  Everyone was shocked by the devastation and people were asking what they could do to help.  We demonstrated how people could text the word "Haiti" to a number on any Verizon cell phone and immediately donate $10 to the relief efforts.  I was really amazed at how receptive people were to using their phones for this sort of purpose.  I think a lot of the seniors in the room were pleased to be able to do something simple to help, and even though technology was involved, it was simple enough that anyone could do it with a little help.

A week later I was at the AARP office in Manhattan, where OATS is working on a project to help use technology to empower AARP volunteers to carry out projects in their communities, and one of the staff mentioned that AARP had raised over a million dollars for the Haiti relief effort.  Apparently, AARP set up a secure donation form on their website and marketed it to their membership, which donated over $500,000 in just a few days.  AARP matched the donations with resources from their foundation and made sure the money reached reputable charities doing quality work.

These are just two examples of how technology is being used by older adults to help those in need during a time of crisis.  I can imagine a time very soon when the majority of seniors are active users of online tools that provide support to others, shape the debate around key topics, and even influence public policy.  OATS has been working on a series of trainings to support these kinds of technology uses by older adults, and we've had a very positive response from the first groups of people in the program.  As this fantastic piece in The New York Times points out, the wave of the future may involve seniors using technology not just for connecting to friends and family or managing health information, but also helping to make the world a better place.  The sooner, the better, as far as I'm concerned.