Getting ahead in a digital age

Even though the use of smartphones is becoming increasingly common among older adults, many seniors still lack confidence in using them. This was the sentiment for 61-year-old Mdm Eunice Kwah, but she was determined to make a change as she grew increasingly frustrated in using certain smartphone functions.

 

Thus, she decided to take matters into her hands by signing up for various IT courses at XIOHOO.

 

Located at Bugis, XIOHOO is one of over 50 partner organisations under the National Silver Academy (NSA) offering courses for seniors. Seniors aged 50 and above can enjoy subsidised course fees when they sign up for NSA courses to engage in continuous learning and lead an exciting third age. 

 

Since 2020, Mdm Kwah has taken part in over 20 NSA courses with XIOHOO, such as courses on video taking and editing, Instagram, Telegram and Zoom. 

 

“Our smartphone has become such an important tool in our lives. We cannot simply leave it at home or live without it. I took the initiative to learn as I wanted to stop feeling ‘stuck’ whenever I use my smartphone,” Mdm Kwah explained. 

 

Mdm Kwah stated that the duration of each of these IT courses is around three hours. Whether the learners were using an iOS or Android smartphone, the trainers and assistants could help them effectively. With the helpful trainers and assistants at XIOHOO, Mdm Kwah found the process of picking up new skills to be smooth-sailing. 

 

Enjoying the convenience of technology

 

Within a short period after taking up courses, she grew more confident in using her smartphone. Picking up these new skills has also brought much convenience and accessibility to her life.

 

Previously, Mdm Kwah had always typed on her smartphone to send her messages to her family and friends. After taking up courses on various messaging platforms, she now understands that she can also rely on voice input for typing, enabling her to communicate with others more efficiently. 

 

Mdm Kwah also shops online more frequently these days as it is convenient and time-saving. She learnt to check out the seller profile and product reviews before purchasing the items online.

 

In addition, Mdm Kwah can now access many government apps with ease, such as SingPass, CPF Mobile, HealthHub and more. She also discovered many interesting and useful apps that she can download on her smartphone, such as Google Lens and Google Translate. 

 

By taking a photo of an object using these applications, Mdm Kwah could find out where she can purchase the item, the name of the object, or even translate the text into a language she can understand. These are all pleasant surprises that she had learnt from these courses, and they ended up being useful in her everyday life. 

 

Staying socially connected 

 

Since the start of the pandemic, Mdm Kwah has been using Zoom and social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to interact with others. Besides staying connected with the latest updates from her friends, she will usually edit the photos and videos taken before sharing them on these platforms. 

 

Mdm Kwah discovered the joy of helping others with her increased knowledge of technology. When she met a senior whose vaccination proof was reflected on his TraceTogether app, she taught him to retrieve his vaccination records via HealthHub. With Mdm Kwah's help, he could dine out with his family.

 

She is also able to bond with others with the help of technology. Citing a recent example when she visited a nature park with a few companions, Mdm Kwah took photos and used Google Lens to identify various insects and flowers they had seen. Her companions were excited to know when she shared the results with them.

 

Thus, Mdm Kwah strongly encourages seniors to kickstart their digitalisation journey. She explained: “You will discover that going digital not only provides convenience to our daily activities, but it also ultimately improves our quality of life.”

 

She also shares her advice: “You can take up a course together with your spouse or friends and even treat it like an outing. If you feel that a one-day course is too long, you can try for a 3-hour course instead. Start small so that you can build confidence and cultivate the joy of learning!”

 

Mdm Kwah looks forward to taking up more NSA courses in the future. She shared that she intends to take up a course on mental well-being to help improve her mental resilience as it is easy to feel stressed or anxious amidst the uncertainty of the pandemic.

 

**Special thanks to Mdm Eunice Kwah who accepted our interview, we wish her all the very best in her lifelong learning journey.