Closing the digital divide to bridging the generation gap

During the Covid-19 pandemic, technology has connected the older generation to the younger like never before. It brought seniors closer to youngsters and in the bargain a new bonhomie blossomed. The ease with which Generation Z warmed up to Generation X was touching indeed.

The other day, my mother’s medical report had come online and my daughter’s technical knowhow came to her assistance. She helped her grandmother with a gamut of keys on the laptop. What followed was a revelation to my daughter about the health status and the physical pain behind the visage of a loving, playful grandma. She had been oblivious of that aspect till then. Their conversations moved beyond pleasantries and became more of health talk. It was heartwarming to hear them share tips on the importance of leading a better lifestyle.

I started helping my elderly neighbour with her online transactions, and what I cherished in return, was the amazing piece of cake she baked. Seeing my admiration for her little attempt, she started experimenting with new recipes that she had learnt to download from the internet.

The precocious young ones were generously filling in the blanks on the computer screens for their seniors. They were teaching their teachers nuances of the digital world while helping them conduct virtual classes smoothly. In a year of firsts, every home had a youngster wielding the baton, when the elders got stuck on some technical gobbledygook.

The work from home culture was another icebreaker. Here too, the younger recruits were in demand because of their acumen in applied knowledge. So, we had the stiff upper lip boss and other uptight colleagues calling on them to help run the office virtually.

On the social front, attending a family wedding on the virtual platform was unthinkable. But we crossed that bridge with the loving efforts of our nieces and nephews, who fixed up the electronic gizmos. To deck up in one’s own home and do a jig for the bride and groom on camera, was anything but surreal.

On the other hand, my uncle too had become tech-savvy. He couldn’t thank his grandson enough for connecting him to his long lost friends on social media. The apps had mitigated the pangs of separation from his near and dear ones.

The times of video calls, webinars, e-marriages and e-learnings had us all putting our heads together to tide over the digital divide. It was interesting to see the strict landlord mellowing down with his young paying guests and instead trying to sort out a cybernated problem.

While the usual online portals were abuzz with activity, we shopped, we laughed, we worked in tandem with the other generation. It gave us a peep into each other’s world. So much was shared and so much discovered. The context of our interactions had changed as we realised how deeply we were dependent on each other. Technology had certainly diminished the generation gap and brought in some cheer.

IT GAVE US A PEEP INTO EACH OTHER’S WORLD. SO MUCH WAS SHARED AND SO MUCH DISCOVERED. THE CONTEXT OF OUR INTERACTIONS HAD CHANGED AS WE REALISED HOW DEEPLY WE WERE DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER.