ZOOMING

 I belong to a group called Longevity explorers which is a group of seniors who explore different aspects of technology use as we age. The last ZOOM meeting we had was about Tech-support; Learning about Tech; Helping Others with Tech. We were asked the following questions to prepare

1. Do you have trouble keeping all your technology running?

2. Do you find constant updates a challenge?

3. Do you wonder how to learn about new tech?

4. Do you find yourself helping friends with tech and wonder if there is a "better way"?

The meeting included 16 of us, seniors from all over the United States and me in Canada and we discussed the issues in a thoughtful and interesting manner. Patience and the willingness to make a fool of yourself were two of the items that struck me as important as we help those who do not understand technology but want to understand.

The past months proved that technology could keep us connected more than ever before. 88% of seniors have a smartphone that can keep us together with our family even while we are staying at home.

1. Messaging– the first way we can stay in touch is through messaging. We can reach out with a simple text message or even send pictures and videos. You can create or join multiple messaging groups through the Messages app in your phone or other apps like Facebook Messenger, Viber and WhatsApp. Doing this can allow us to remain in contact with our family, colleagues, and friends, never missing any important updates!

2. Video calling– other than a traditional phone call, a great way to connect with someone from a distance is through a video call. Hearing their voice and seeing their face is the closest way to feel together with our loved ones currently. Just like with messaging, we can also do a group video call, seeing many faces in one call and hearing stories from one another.

As we are still recovering from the pandemic, Canadians depend on video calls to stay connected. Many apps can do this service such as Facetime Zoom, Google Duo, Facebook Messenger.

The problem is that many of us who are using Video Conferencing are facing burnout and want to see people in person and I hope this ability comes sooner than later.