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In April of 2016, researchers at
Penn State released findings that
the upward trend has continued.
In 2013,27 percent of adults aged
65 and older were members of a
social media site, like Facebook
or Linkedln. The number has
jumped to 35 percent this year.
Despite the many wonderful
things that technology and the
Internet offer, there are older
adults who find it intimidating
to jump online and begin surfing
the net. There are plenty of
helpful opportunities in the
north Atlanta region, however.
Computer classes are provided
at libraries in Fulton, Cobb,
Gwinnett and DeKalb counties.
For example, Atlanta-Fulton
Public Library’s Kirkwood
Branch has a Drop-In Computer
Lab that’s available during
normal operating hours. Some
Cobb County libraries offer an
ongoing series that goes through
the basics of using a computer,
getting online and using email.
Several area library systems
offer Book-A-Librarian. Residents
can make an appointment
for a one-on-one, 30-minute
customized session at no charge.
According to the Cobb County
Public Library, “Available topics
include...database assistance,
library catalog and account
instruction, downloadable media
and device assistance and 3D
printing.” The service is open to
all library patrons.
An Atlanta area organization,
Bluehair Technology Group, is a
501c3 non-profit that specializes
in connecting seniors with the
digital world around them.
Jane Ratliff, Founder and
Executive Director of Bluehair
Technology, helps seniors
learn to enjoy their tablets,
smartphones and computers.
“All our students are bright
and capable, and they can all
learn; they just need to have
the motivation,” she said. “It’s
important to find out what’s
important to them. Once they
see the value in learning the
technology, and once they
understand what it can do for
them, they’re very receptive.”
According to Ratliff, many
seniors want to learn to use
their devices to send and receive
text messages, as well as to take
TECH
SENIORS LEARN TO GET COMFORTABLE
WITH THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY
“Americans of every age and income level need to
have basic technological skills in today’s society,
and it will only become more true in the future.”
- Jane Ratliff of Bluehair Technology
4
OCTOBER 2016 I ATLANTASENIORLIFE.COM
and save photos. Others are
interested in using email and
Facebook, in addition to Facetime
or Skype, to stay in touch with
their families, especially their
young grandchildren.
That’s not all, of course.
“They’re really open to any
services that can make their
lives easier, like a GPS to help
them navigate on the road,
or the Internet to search for
information, check bank
statements and enjoy the
convenience of online shopping,”
she explained.
Ratliff said that she was
inspired to start the organization
in 2011, when helping her mother
learn how to use her new iPad.
The tablet was a birthday gift
from Jane’s brother. He’d hoped
their mother would use the iPad
to keep in touch with family
members all around the country,
but it was going to take basic,
step-by-step instruction for her to
become comfortable with it since
she’d had no previous computer
experience.
Ratliff’s patience and
persistence paid off. She reported
that, five years later, her mother,
now 91, uses her iPad every
day. “She stays connected with
her family and friends through
Facebook and regularly checks
her bank statement. She also
plays Words with Friends with
five people, including me.”
That’s not the end of the
story, by any means. Through
her mother’s experience,
Ratliff realized that, these days,
everyone needs technological
skills. She founded Bluehair
Technology to fulfill that
purpose, specifically focusing
on the senior population. It was
formed as a non-profit so it could
serve a wide range of seniors,
through grants, sponsorships
and other forms of funding.
“People won’t be able
to function in the future
unless they can use the latest
technology,” she said. “Americans
of every age and income level
need to have basic technological
skills in today’s society, and it
will only become more true in
the future.”
Karen Keeter, Instructor
and Social Media Associate
with Bluehair Technology, said
that it can be challenging to
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