By Pramod Bhasin

Today, technology is ubiquitous, immensely benefitting each the younger and the aged. For seniors who dwell alone, away from their youngsters, and know the way to use tech instruments, expertise eases lives. From ordering groceries and medicines on-line to accessing telemedicine or endeavor numerous banking wants, expertise presents them a plethora of handy advantages. Very importantly, it has performed an unbelievable position in connecting them with remote households, accessing emergency and healthcare providers, and gaining access to their entitlements and advantages.

Technology could be a saviour for senior citizens, each in rural and concrete India, enhancing their lives in assorted and significant methods. First, it may hold them linked with household and pals. Even if their youngsters (or pals) dwell throughout the nation or abroad, tech helps the aged keep usually in contact with close to and expensive ones. Social media platforms and the innumerable WhatsApp teams hold us all certain collectively and in contact in ways in which snail mail and costly phone calls may by no means obtain. Loneliness is a considerable challenge for a lot of elders and connectivity has helped erase it to a sure extent.

Second, expertise can be utilized to enhance well being, tackle isolation, and improve high quality of life. The emergence of telemedicine and digital gadgets has modified the dynamics of the entry to healthcare in a major means and is a giant boon for seniors affected by continual situations akin to diabetes, melancholy, hypertension, stroke, and cardiac illnesses. Thanks to apps and different tech instruments, the aged can seek the advice of docs remotely. This is especially useful for folks residing in distant areas or these going through mobility points. Social isolation a rising concern which Covid additional heightened. Technology got here to help for a lot of such elders who bought on-line and accessed streaming providers, on-line information, and data as a each day technique of leisure and recreation.

Third, expertise might be utilised to entry crucial providers and entitlements for deprived elders. Technology is now being utilized in a giant means for enabling elders, notably the agricultural aged, who’re utilizing it to hyperlink and enroll with authorities programmes such because the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile Yojana, to allow them to profit from schemes akin to previous age pension and PM-JAY and entry their entitlements. Even although some rural elders could lack sensible telephone entry, the strategy of utilizing CSC or digital centres for elders helps bridge the hole of entry to those crucial providers. It additionally gives a window to the surface world for rural aged and in flip impacts their livelihood, as they will now study new agricultural and farming methods, perceive the impression of climate on crops and way more via media like YouTube.
Keeping the above benefits in thoughts, people and establishments ought to handhold seniors to allow them to use expertise seamlessly. Several organisations are actively working to advertise using the web in rural areas by offering entry to digital assets and infrastructure.

The pandemic has deepened the digital divide among the many aged. Seniors remained confined inside their houses and have been unable to entry fundamental providers since they have been routine to bodily visiting banks, marketplaces, and utility centres. Their lack of digital data meant they have been wholly depending on their grownup offspring or grandchildren to entry utility providers on-line. For these residing alone, nevertheless, the problem was way more formidable.

Statistics reveal why digital literacy programmes stay the necessity of the hour to assist the aged develop into tech-savvy, notably in rural zones. As per a Nielsen report (India Internet Report 2023), there are greater than 425 million web customers in rural areas—an astounding 44% greater than in city India, the place 295 million folks use the web usually. Although nearly half of the agricultural section is utilizing the web, ample headroom exists for larger development in future, particularly on the subject of aged cohorts.

In this context, authorities initiatives which can be driving digital literacy in rural India should be lauded, as they assist the aged considerably. One such initiative is the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDisha). This scheme is aimed toward driving digital literacy amongst non-literate and digitally-illiterate residents, together with seniors in rural areas. With greater than 6.15 crore enrolling on this scheme, it’s obvious there may be sturdy demand for digital literacy in rural districts. Another initiative is the Silver Surfer Program (SSP), which seeks to acquaint the aged—particularly these in rural areas—with the advantages of contemporary expertise. SSP trains seniors on fundamental laptop abilities, web utilization, digital transactions, and works to generate consciousness about cyber threats.

There isn’t any denying that expertise can assist the aged develop into part of the nation’s mainstream social community. Once this occurs, on-line transactions—paying utility payments, banking, on-line bookings—could be a breeze, making life extra pleasurable for senior residents.

The writer is Governing board member, HelpAge India