My Dad is an elderly man from the 60s and I could remember the first time he started using a smartphone. Being an impatient person then because I don't like teaching a kid something and not concentrating or not grasping what I am teaching him or her, I used to vent my anger on such a kid, not remembering I was once a child too that they had to be patient with me to understand what I have been able to acquire today. Knowing how hard it is to teach a kid and not grasp quickly, how would an elderly man understand how to navigate a smartphone? He was always requesting and begging that he needed to use a smartphone too because his friends were using it. Somehow they got one for him and I was his operator every single day.
It was funny when he received a call and with force, swiped the green option. I told him he shouldn't exert his energy because he would only ruin the screen. I taught him how to swipe gently and with no force attached to it to receive a call. He still does the same thing now. 😆
It got to a stage, Dad had to get a higher notebook because he was scared of coming to me for the same thing I already taught him. If he needs to learn a new thing, he would call me. There was a day I was with him in the parlour and he was struggling hard to remember something. He couldn't call me because I already taught him. I pretended not to listen to his murmurings. Smiling and stylishly looking at him struggling with the phone, I went to his side and asked "Dad, what are you trying to do?" He said, "I don't want to disturb you because you already taught me but I forgot". He was trying to copy and paste a written message from WhatsApp which he intended to send to different people and that was the issue. With patience, I explained how he would copy and paste to another contact. I did the first example for him, and slowly he got the rest. That was when I knew, to teach people like him, requires being patient and easily directing them, let them try in your presence and they would understand. I was only an impatient being then and for me not to be rude with him and others, I had to control myself.
Some elderly ones are already used to small phones that only allow them to press numbers, call and receive calls from outside. They aren't concerned with those smartphones as they conclude they are big to handle and also expensive to get for them. Meanwhile, some are interested in holding such big phones just like my aunt. My sister had to source for funds to get her one and the only thing she does with it is calling and receiving calls. She only comes online on WhatsApp after each decade when she is in the mood because according to her, she has no time to learn those things.
My grandmother, on the other hand was surprised the first time she saw her daughter from the United States call her through WhatsApp video and was more than shocked to see the whole of her room and kitchen. She kept opening her mouth in astonishment because she never believed such could exist. We told her that technology has taken over and made things easier. We explained what a smartphone is and its functions. She kept saying "Ehn ehn, really? Is this true?, this is amazing, etc" but with all these explanations, she does not have interest in owning a smartphone as she is used to the small Tecno phone that has a torchlight and it is okay by her.
The truth is, teaching these elderly ones how to navigate through smartphones takes a lot of time and requires being patient, able to communicate well and with slow motion, they will grasp things quickly. Just like my Dad, his interest and determination to understand the usage of smartphones made him get a book where he recorded a lot of things he was taught and each second, the book never leave his side. Though he hasn't learnt everything at his level and his age, he already knew many things which concern him like sending messages through SMS, WhatsApp and Gmail. He knows how to subscribe to data on his phone, can place a video and audio call on WhatsApp, read and listen to the news online and could navigate Google to ask questions.
Explaining how smartphones have come to help a lot of people will interest a lot of elderly ones as they would want to listen keenly to how technology has been helping lives, especially knowing how one could learn at the tip of his fingers without having to travel to a far distant library to get what he or she needs. There is a lot of information that has benefited many of us, and with these explanations, they will understand that smartphones are not the devil's tool as they claimed it to be. Many have been informed of the bad sides of smartphones that they only believe those things, but with our help, they can learn a lot of things better and not take these gadgets to mean a bad thing.
With patience, a good flow of communication and endurance with the elderly ones in teaching them how to use the smartphone, they will also be happy and ready to learn quickly.
Thanks for your time on my blog.
😂😂😂😂 same thing when my dad started using smart phone
It was really funny but now he knows better but anywhere he doesn't understand he asks us his children
As in ehn.. We just need to be patient with them. Once they are willing to know something, they will. It is just a matter of time.
Yeah
I can feel it, when Dad said "you have already taught him that step, therefore, he doesn't want to bother you any further, you did great for being his operator till he master operating the smartphone on his own. Nice experience
Hehehe.. It was not easy at first but he was learning and now he can operate some functions on his own. Thanks for reading.
You are welcome
It's always a refreshing experience when I show my dad something and he looks at me in wonder like I just solved a world problem or more. Hilarious indeed. Your dad sounds like a very considerate person so I'm glad you exercised patience with him.
And then you will be like his hero solving a difficult case 😂 I love that feeling too, making me feel like a professional. Lol
Where be say, shingbain about the nitty gritty of phones, we no know😂. Wonderful feeling my dear. It was a pleasure reading.✨
I love your dad's way. Even when he wasn't getting things right, he kept trying without calling anyone's attention, I think he respects people's policy or he is considerate?. That's another great way to learn independently..glad you came to his rescue 😇... patience is needed whenever you are coaching anyone be it an adult or a child 😉
He is a considerate man as he doesn´t like to inconvenience his children or anyone. Patience is really needed with the adults and children.
Indeed, I love the style of your dad. He is willing and also learning independently as much as possible. To teach elderly people is not easy.
It is not easy but with time, they will learn. Thanks for reading.
Princess the teacher. I could feel your pains. 😂
And I had to practice the way you sad dad exerts energy on the green button while reading this 😂. Hopefully they don’t put the phone in their mouth and then in their ears again to make calls.
I really love the video call aspect with your grandma, it happened to my grandma too. She was surprised.
Hehehe. That day was just funny to me and I still laugh when he forcefully swipes the green button to receive a call. The screen is already getting ruined with constant falling down. Lol
Yes, those oldies get surprised seeing they could see someone from another location through the phone.
I always experienced the same thing with my mum. I have to teach her the same thing over and over again before she gets it. She usually bluffs that she is clever than me but smartphones are just not her thing. So I should bear with her in constantly asking questions, my patience is always at the brink of running out.
Hehehe. One's patience is being tested at that moment with them. But in the end, it is worth our time.
Teaching the elderly how to use a smartphone can be very difficult.
So difficult.
Hahaha. Teaching the aged how to use smartphone is a hard nut to crack. When I took my grandmother on the lesson, we spent countless times trying to master just one particular button. But the good thing is that she learnt at all and now she is enjoying it.
Yes, they will definitely enjoy it. It's only a matter of time and being patient.
That's very true. Incessant teaching would have that settled.
Teaching them require a lot of patience. They forget most of time what we teach them. But after several tries they became used to with it. I also has some experience like you.
Yes, once they keep trying, they get used to it. It's always frustrating teaching them and not understand but with time, they will.
I think what makes it difficult to teach elders how to use a smartphone is their general lack of interest. They seem satisfied with their small feature phones and do not see the need to use a smartphone. The first thing is to arouse their interest in using a particular feature, and they'll learn it faster.
Imagine the extent your dad went. He got a notebook for "phone lessons". That's probably because he was really interested in using a smartphone. We had a problem convincing my mum to use a smartphone too. As you said, the game-changer was WhatsApp video calls. She was too happy to see my siblings during video calls. Now she prefers video calls to voice calls and we have to keep crediting her line with data weekly.
Thanks for this post. Quite interesting.
This is very true. We need to make them interested first if we want them to really learn something. Thanks for reading and I am sorry for my late reply too.
Congratulations @princessbusayo! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain And have been rewarded with New badge(s)
Your next payout target is 6000 HP.
The unit is Hive Power equivalent because post and comment rewards can be split into HP and HBD
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPTo support your work, I also upvoted your post!
Check out our last posts:
Thank you for your encouragement, Hivebuzz.
All good @princessbusayo! You are a true inspiration for Hive! Keep going and reach your new target!
Being patient to elders while teaching something new is really understandable. Because i too had the same experience. But as we teach we also learn.