Are you really going to spend the rest of your life (10+ years) “off the grid” of the internet and smart phones? You don’t use email. Don’t text. Can’t see photos your family is sharing all over the place. Don’t SHOP online. Have to go to the bank to check your bank account. Pay bills using paper mostly.
I admit it’s not easy to buy a computer, tablet, or smart phone, and then keep it going without help. Just remember people all over the world who are illiterate are JUMPING on the internet. Why? Because they do learn enough to reap huge benefits, like communicating cheaply with family. Even doing business on a cell phone. YOU CAN DO IT TOO.
For example, the simplest thing is to get a tablet. It could cost you under $400. Which should last 3-4 years.
THE THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO LEARN:
Tricks that are in your way:
Get a student to be your personal tutor. This person is like a babysitter or a personal trainer: they are going to spend a number of hours to help you. You can go at your own speed, ask all the questions you want.
To find a tutor: If you know somebody who is computer savvy, have them search for “private computer tutor [my county]” You might find websites like “universitytutors” “student tutors” or “in-person tutoring students.” Students will be cheaper and know everything you want to learn. You can SHARE a tutor to save costs, if you want to go forth with a friend.
Or, go to a class at your library or senior center and ask if they can refer you to a tutor. Or, just take the classes there if you can.
Buy a copy of Abby Stokes’ book: Is This Thing On? A Friendly Guide to Everything Digital for Newbies, Technophobes, and the Kicking & Screaming (March 2015 edition).
(FYI You can buy this book online at amazon.com, as a paperback, new or used, and as an ebook: http://www.amazon.com/This-Thing-Everything-Technophobes-Screaming/dp/0761183809/ )
If you already know how to get online but want to work on skills and have somebody lead you to new things: http://askabbystokes.com/
She specializes in “silver surfers.” In fact, get your tutor to help you learn to navigate her site, because she has VIDEO TUTORIALS and step-by-step tutorials. You can do these without a tutor, eventually.
Think of the Internet and smart phones as a grand new toy. Find out why people JUMP for this! You can join the party!
I admit it’s not easy to buy a computer, tablet, or smart phone, and then keep it going without help. Just remember people all over the world who are illiterate are JUMPING on the internet. Why? Because they do learn enough to reap huge benefits, like communicating cheaply with family. Even doing business on a cell phone. YOU CAN DO IT TOO.
For example, the simplest thing is to get a tablet. It could cost you under $400. Which should last 3-4 years.
THE THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO LEARN:
- Using email
- Reading Books
- Using the camera
- Looking at photos and opening shared photos
- Sharing a photo, making an online album
- Buying things online
- Checking your bank account
- Reading breaking news headlines and articles
Tricks that are in your way:
- Register the tablet and get an account on Amazon (for Kindle) or Apple Store so you can buy books and “apps” (little icons that do something, like an alarm clock).
- Learn how to access free WiFi, or connect to WiFi in your living space
- How to use EMAIL
- Screen navigation: swiping side to side, tapping to get bottom options displayed, swiping down from top for settings
- How the keyboard appears when you need to enter data
- Buying new apps: go to APPS tab, set to DEVICE not CLOUD, go to STORE, search for apps by name, download. Free APPS will not incur any charges.
- What you can do when you are NOT on WiFi:
- Read books
- Listen to music
- Alarm clock etc
- Things you can ONLY do when on a WiFi network: refresh mail, read news, use Skype
- How to buy a kindle book or music: go to AMAZON app, when you order something it will ask for AMAZON account confirmation, and Amazon profile includes a credit card. For Example, search “Mark Twain free”
Get a student to be your personal tutor. This person is like a babysitter or a personal trainer: they are going to spend a number of hours to help you. You can go at your own speed, ask all the questions you want.
To find a tutor: If you know somebody who is computer savvy, have them search for “private computer tutor [my county]” You might find websites like “universitytutors” “student tutors” or “in-person tutoring students.” Students will be cheaper and know everything you want to learn. You can SHARE a tutor to save costs, if you want to go forth with a friend.
Or, go to a class at your library or senior center and ask if they can refer you to a tutor. Or, just take the classes there if you can.
Buy a copy of Abby Stokes’ book: Is This Thing On? A Friendly Guide to Everything Digital for Newbies, Technophobes, and the Kicking & Screaming (March 2015 edition).
(FYI You can buy this book online at amazon.com, as a paperback, new or used, and as an ebook: http://www.amazon.com/This-Thing-Everything-Technophobes-Screaming/dp/0761183809/ )
If you already know how to get online but want to work on skills and have somebody lead you to new things: http://askabbystokes.com/
She specializes in “silver surfers.” In fact, get your tutor to help you learn to navigate her site, because she has VIDEO TUTORIALS and step-by-step tutorials. You can do these without a tutor, eventually.
Think of the Internet and smart phones as a grand new toy. Find out why people JUMP for this! You can join the party!
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