Bridging the Grey Digital Divide in Belize

The digital gap, often called the grey digital divide, is a real challenge for older folks trying to navigate the digital world. Studies show this divide can lead to isolation, limited access to services, online vulnerabilities, and fewer learning opportunities. But there’s good news! The University of Belize has teamed up with several organizations to tackle this issue head-on. Today, they brought together a room full of elderly individuals and service providers to get a better grasp of the needs and skills required to bridge this gap effectively. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the full story.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Belize’s elderly population, estimated at around thirty thousand, is quietly grappling with the challenge of keeping up with modern technology. Many of these seniors are fighting an uphill battle to stay connected in our fast-paced digital world.

 

Paul Lopez

“I see you have a device in your hands.”

Elenita Phillips, Retired

“Yes, but it is not an extension of my hand. I just have it here because I was answering a call just now.”

 

Paul Lopez

“You sure, looks like you are getting like those young people.”

 

Elenita Phillips

“Oh no, I don’t check Facebook until late in the evening.”

 

Meet Elenita Phillips, a retiree we caught up with at a Senior Digital Literacy Training hosted by the University of Belize in Belize City. These free sessions are designed to help seniors like Elenita unlock the power of technology, an area where many face challenges, as she shared with us.

 

Elenita Phillips

“I try to learn what I don’t and what I don’t know I try to ask the younger people who would have the knowledge of it. But a lot of time I like to train myself and find out things for myself.”

 

Paul Lopez

“How hard is it to learn this device.”

 

Elenita Phillips

“Sometimes it is hard when I want to do something on it that I haven’t done before. I haven’t learned to scan on the printer because I don’t have to do it. Every now and then something comes up that I would need to scan a document to send it and then I say I wish I didn’t put it off, that I knew how to do it.”

 

Kyle Miller, the President of HelpAge in Punta Gorda, interacts with the elderly daily. He has come to understand the importance of bridging the technological gaps that exist among the elderly and how this can make their worlds a lot less lonely.

 

Kyle Miller, President, HelpAge PG

“Especially in PG, a lot of their daughters or family members live in the states. So, that is one of the only way the can communicate with them. So, helping them to learn this bridges a communication gap with them and their family. I was just explaining to them that my mom got her sister sending for her and so they sent a ticket online and she was like, I guess I am not going because I don’t know how to do this and so things like that. The missing information, it opens up a wider doors when it comes to things and some of our elders are left behind when it comes to things like that.”

 

Paul Lopez

“What’s your thoughts on social media?”

 

Elenita Phillips

“You have to limit yourself. You cant live on it or else you wouldn’t do anything else. I time myself on the computer and decide so much to check emails, Facebook, so much time to do that, not a lot of time, because there is always something interesting to do.”

 

Paul Lopez

“So you communicate on Facebook?”

 

Elenita Phillips

“No, I am a stalker on Facebook. I see what other people post. I don’t post. If somebody post something nice I like, I give the thumbs up. Sometimes people will post things I don’t like and I would like to comment but I say no, I don’t want to start argument with anybody.”

 

Phillips showed us that the technological tools at our disposal today can help to enhance the lives of our elderly population. A large part of the training also focused on teaching young people how to create a supportive environment when imparting essential digital skills to the elderly among us. We also spoke with the organizer Arnulfo Kantun.

 

Arnulfo Kantun, Business Development Officer, UB

“Another skill that is very necessary is communication, how do you communicate with older citizens, how do you share information, how do you bring them within a space where you can impart practical skills. So, we look at that as well and we also look at reasons why it is very important to have these kind of training skills. It is different than when you would normally teach anybody else. You have to be more confident, clear in your delivery and you have to remember you have to have patients.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez