Ican't remember a time when I didn't use the internet.
I wrote my first research
paper in my family's basement on a boxy, tan Windows desktop. I opened my college
acceptance letter from my email account. I have hundreds of photos on Facebook and
Instagram.
So many of my assignments, emails, and favorite moments are stored online. If a
disaster happened tomorrow, it's comforting to know these items could be recovered.
But approximately 60 million Americans do not have access to internet. Recent data
from the Pew Research Institute shows almost half these individuals are over 65
years old.
Being offline can be extremely isolating, especially for the elderly. In an
interview with The New York Times, Tom Kamber, who runs a program teaching senior
citizens how to use technology, said, "Isolation is an unrecognized crisis among
seniors. A lot of older people feel, in the digital age, that they are not relevant
or included."
Many elderly people are on the wrong side of the digital divide, a term referring
to the social and economic split between those who have the knowledge, skills, and
ability to access technology and those who don't. In our digital world, the gap
between the haves and the have-nots is persistent and becoming increasingly
problematic.
As the world prepares for more extreme weather, crop shortages, epidemics, and
global conflicts, digital communication will be more important than ever. Recent
natural disasters have shown that being disconnected has devastating consequences
for the elderly and their families.
During Hurricane Katrina, more than 70 percent of those who died were over 60 years
old. Many who survived did not receive proper medical care because paper health
records were destroyed during the storm.
After the 2007 Witch Creek wildfire in San Diego County, elderly homeowners
struggled to get compensation for lost belongings. In an interview with Pomerado
News, Valerie Brown, a coordinator for an organization helping families recover
after the fire, said, "Documenting is the hardest part. People have a lot of
stuff...and proving it is really difficult. They have to recreate [a list] from
photos, memory, and credit card statements, and [place a] value on all of that."
In 2012, when Hurricane Sandy hit New York, thousands of people turned to social
media for the latest safety updates, but many elderly residents were unable to take
advantage of such networks to seek help.
Some of these tragedies could have been avoided if senior citizens had digital
tools to make copies of important documents, find safety, and access resources in
the aftermath of a disaster. In The Journal of Aging in Emerging Economies, Dr.
Isiah Marshall Jr. and Dr. Shannon Mathews write, "Many disaster assistance
programs are computer-based, and the elderly may not register for benefits because
they may not be aware of resources or do not have the skills to apply for
assistance."
Helping seniors connect online will allow thousands of people to engage with their
communities to plan for extreme conditions, rather than being passive bystanders.
They will have more opportunities to communicate with family, access public
services, and receive the latest safety information during a crisis.
Introducing seniors to technology will also emotionally prepare them for the
aftermath of disasters. Helping someone scan an old letter or upload photos to
Facebook might seem inconsequential, but losing these mementos can often be as
devastating as losing a home or community.
When Hurricane Sandy destroyed Micháela Murray-Nolan's New York home, her family
lost everything. Murray-Nolan learned about a Facebook page reuniting New York
residents with objects found after the storm. She was able to recover one family
photo, a picture of her father and brother. In an interview with the New York Daily
News, Murray-Nolan said, "I was so excited to even have back even one photo for my
dad, who doesn't remember our childhood. It's just so important."
Several programs are already teaching senior citizens digital skills. Last month,
Google Fiber and the Sprint Foundation funded the Kansas City Digital Inclusion
Fund, a program that pairs low-income high school students with seniors who want to
gain technological skills. OATS — Older Adults Technology Services — is an
organization that teaches courses to senior citizens in New York City libraries,
schools, and community centers.
Although these programs are valuable, they won't reach everyone. Plenty of elderly
individuals can't physically leave their homes to take classes or afford to buy
digital devices. But that doesn't mean they should be left behind. While no single
person or policy can offer an easy solution, strengthening communication and
building more inclusive networks is a good place to start.
