The Digital Unite Blog

We were interested to read a report this week that only a quarter of people aged over 55 years bank online. The research, released by PayYourway.org.uk, showed that whilst 71% of users aged over 55 feel confident about making online transactions, only one in four (25%) had tried managing their money through online banking.

Earlier this year, we were told by our own sample of internet users aged over 55 that for 86% being online has improved their lives with a key reason being that they can do things quicker (71%). Long queues at banks or the hassle and cost of posting cheques can be easily avoided with the click of a button.

However we also know that for many security fears and identify theft as a result of internet transactions is still a major concern and the thought of laying personal account details to bear on a computer screen is probably a step too far right now.

People also still want and need the interaction with service providers and a trip to their bank, for which many have a well-worn relationship, can fulfil that desire. Certainly at Digital Unite we don’t believe the internet should be an exclusive tool that negates the need for human contact but should instead be used to enhance day-to-day living.

That said as the modern age is increasingly demanding and incentivising people to engage with products and services in a cost-effective and time-efficient way being online is becoming an essential requirement for everyone. And here’s where organisations such as ours come in.

Having worked with the over 55s for the last 15 years we know that the process of engagement isn’t one that can be hurried or enforced – a slow, measured and supportive approach is essential to ensure that once older people experience life online they remain interested and willing to explore further. Maybe that’s through supporting self-learning, or through providing tuition, local support or formally trained mentors, one size certainly does not fit all.

Our research sample also told us that being online makes them feel more like part of modern society (81%). More work at both a national and local level must be done to ensure many other thousands of older people not yet using the internet have the chance to feel like that too.

This week some of the Digital Unite team were given a guided tour of the supported housing schemes in Southampton to see how digital learning, and the Get Digital programme, is making a difference to their residents. And, wow, what a difference indeed.  

The stories from the team about how their residents were embracing computers and the internet and all the opportunities they bring just kept on coming.  

There was a terminally ill lady in her 70s who had sisters in Canada but was too ill to travel so using one of the computer on-site she was hooked up to Skype and now talks to her sisters and their families once a week.    

Another lady wanted to get in touch with her son in Australia but didn’t know his email address. His postal address however was firmly ingrained on her mind and with a little help she was able to see his house via Google Earth, the street in which he lived and the beach just down the road that he had so often spoken to her about.  

Here's one I made earlier - Mick at Pleasant View with one of his homemade DVDs

Then there was Mick, pictured, a chap who devoted much of his time to organising events and activities for residents at one scheme. He scours the internet looking for the best deals and makes all the arrangements. He even films all the special events that take place in the communal lounge, creating DVDs with bespoke covers, and showing them on the big screen for all the residents to watch.

The commitment, support and enthusiasm demonstrated by the supported housing team is awe-inspiring.  They have linked up with local businesses, youth groups, schools and Southampton University to extend the life of the digital learning activities and make it a community wide project. Future ideas include open days to encourage both residents and local neighbours to get online and to run an outreach project, taking a laptop and netbook with broadband access into residents’ homes to break down even more barriers. As a winner of last year’s Silver Surfers Day plans are already afoot to do something bigger and better this year.  

It is hard to refrain from including a stream of glowing affirmations in this blog entry, suffice to say  the DU team came away uplifted by the significant changes that we saw to an organisation’s culture and to people’s daily lives. If this is the future of digital learning in supported and sheltered housing then we’re in safe hands.

Do you use BBC web sites?  If so, which sites do you value most?  What do you like and what don’t you like about BBC Online? The BBC Audience Council for England, part of the BBC Trust, would like to find out what people over the age of 55 think of BBC Online.  Silver surfers are invited to come to an event at the Open University in Milton Keynes on Tuesday 9th November to give their views on the BBC’s web sites.  To book a place, please contact Geoff Prout, Public Accountability Manager, BBC Trust. email geoff.prout@bbc.co.uk or call  07872 412 947.

Blogger Philippa Davies   is a work psychologist and as she puts it “a small, dumpy, middle-aged woman”. She tells her story of how she made the leap from not knowing a lot about how the digital world is put together to a digital hero (in my eyes) and in her words an ‘oldie champion’.

Wales Home – Philippa Davies: Online Lessons from another Age

The journey from being an occasional internet browser to pulling up your sleeves and diving into the digital world is usually born out of necessity and not the desire to be, as Philippa puts it,  an “Eccentric old nerd”. The opportunities of what you can do with a little knowledge are endless, and the need for more people who are older to have a voice online and share their experiences is clear.

If you have a story to tell about your experiences, please comment on this post. We would love to hear about your journey and the things that have kept you going.

To see what Philipa is up to now: we see that she has just joined the weird and wonderful world of Twitter and you can read her tweets @mrsmoti or even read about how to tweet over at BeGrand.net.

If you are looking for 1-2-1 support to help you learn online why not contact one of our Tutors.

With our Silver Surfers Day Music Maestro page getting refreshed with new resources and links we spoke to one of our Silver Surfers Day event holders about what they were doing to get people involved with digital music. Kerry Morris Service Manager (Information and Digital) from Newcastle Library gave us the following response to how they work to get people into the library to learn about digital music and much more.

Newcastle Library – Adult and Culture Services
Libraries, Information and Lifelong Learning

In addition to 1-2-1 taster sessions and classes on basic Internet Skills and e-mail we also offer sessions on music downloading, online shopping, social networking and will be doing a session on online dating at the end of July and we are planning sessions on eBay, digital photography and file management. We plan new sessions based on public demand and feedback from taster classes – for example we found that by doing the music download sessions that the area that most customers had issues with was basic file management, which is something that most of us take for granted but is essential to both downloading music and moving images from a camera to a pc.

The 1-2-1 sessions are done using handouts that the customer can keep. The taster classes follow the same format using the handout as the basis of a Power Point presentation. We take a show and try approach but this sometimes depends on the skill level of the group.

Taster sessions are aimed at all ages. Although we do not currently gather information on the ages of those taking part a very high proportion are aged over 50. Library customers like the tasters because often they have a specific issue that they want help with and don’t always want to sit through a number of classes on a prescribed course. Our staff are flexible enough to be able to tailor sessions to individual needs and often a taster is a springboard to finding an appropriate course.

From the taster classes we recruited a group of Silver Surfers who meet in the City Library on the first Thursday of the month. After consulting with the group we are working on a monthly programme where we look at a different topic each month. The group wanted to start with basic keyboard skills and we looked at this using My Guides and in the next few months we will be looking at e-mail and file management. So far the Silver Surfers seem to enjoying being in a group setting and are supporting each other and forming friendships as well as engaging with the digital world.

I’ve found the Digital Unite website useful to refer to and really appreciated the link to the ILC-UK report by Simon Roberts on The Fictions, Facts of Older People and Technology as it was thought provoking.

If you would like to share you example of how you or your organisation is helping older people get to grips with digital music get in touch by emailing kate.norman@digitalunite.net