subject: Google Bringing Old And Young To The World-wide-web [print this page] A bunch of guys at Google had a excellent concept. Let us create a series of videos that will help our parents to use the
web. They launched a site that empowers people to teach their grown up parents how to use the web. It is a great step in
helping older people to overcome their technophobia.
Age related digital divide are probably the things that make older people, as well as late seniors, sense inadequate. What
seems too many elementary, creates a paralyzing situation for elders at the most fundamental web based usage situations.
Managing on their own, through a simplified adapted process of guidance that does not embarrass them in front of their
children and grandchildren, not only answers their need to know, but provides a handle to confront the issue on their own, at
their pace, without being pressured by their slow and hesitant learning curve. Knowing that those guides are there, always at
reach and they can revisit if they forget, makes seniors confident.
Understanding things that are digital natives is intuitive, allows older people a sense of that belong and a feeling of being
as part of the digital society.
The joy of a grandmother that can press the Like button, be updated on her grandchildren status through Facebook, discover
her way by means of Google, chat on Skype and send emails, is not to be taken for granted.
Giving these tools to educate the elderly is a great service to both children and parents.
On the practical level the videos, a spontaneous newbie production, usually are not entirely adapted to the required and pace
of the older population. The screenshots are blurred, not everybody has a Mac and the young presenters talk is not always
coherent, yet it is a grassroots initiative and an admirable one. Their resource and awareness to the importance of enhancing
the mature population to be more digitally savvy in a simplistic and intuitive way and contribution to a softer digital based
bonding between generations.
And on identical level, a similarly remarkable effort at Google is an attractive guide that teaches young children about the
web. I am sure much older children will be equally happy to learn about what and why around the web and not just take its
existence for granted.
These two initiatives, borne from a complete approach, connect the dots for digital immigrants and digital beginners. This
factor to facilitate, familiarize and bond young and old to what is increasingly growing to become a natural part of our life
fabric, is another step in adapting our web to make it a real web of life.
Author is an experienced writer on issues related to Web 2.0, internet, social web, personalization, privacy. For more
information on user centered initiatives, new paradigms, visit Icentered Blog -
