Photography courtesy of St. Mark’s.
Students from St. Mark’s volunteer their time every Sunday to share their knowledge on technology with senior citizens at retirement homes to bridge the digital divide between generations.
The club, Teaching Technology Across Generations (TTAG), began in 2018 to address this gap. On average, five to 10 students spend two hours with retirement home residents every Sunday, alternating between Edgemere Senior Living and Ventana by Buckner retirement homes, answering their questions on technology.
“You enjoy doing it because it’s something that as young people, are really into and know a lot about. So the issues that arise most of the time, we’re familiar with and know how to correct it and fix it relatively easily,” St. Mark’s junior Jack Frary said. “Even though it’s simple work, it’s beneficial because it doesn’t come as easily to them. Sometimes, after we finish helping the senior citizens, we just stay and talk and oftentimes you get into really good conversations and gain wisdom from them.”
Photography courtesy of St. Mark’s.
Junior Rahil Panch shared an instance where he helped a man with his printer, later discovering he was a friend’s grandfather.
During another visit, a woman couldn’t get into her late husband’s computer where old photos of them were stored. Another time, a woman needed help learning how to text her family and friends back.
“It seems like simple things for us, but just texting people for her was a struggle,” Panch said. “I sat down for an hour and a half with her and we sent out a text to all of her people that she wanted to text back like her sons, friends and granddaughters. She was very grateful because it can get lonely when you’re isolated in a retirement home and nowadays, communication happens mostly over the phone so it’s really important for them to stay connected.”
A study found that using technology to communicate may reduce social isolation in older adults.
TTAG, founded in 2018 by Sai Thirungari and Sam Morgan, adapted during the pandemic by hosting webinars and posting instructional videos on their YouTube channel, covering topics like navigating the App Store, using FaceTime and how to add products to carts on Amazon.
