Grans take on Google
Love bytes as children turn to nana for info
ONE woman’s simple family experiment has evolved into an innovative program sparking precious conversations between children and the grandparents who love them.
“I realised how much I was googling (information),” 30year-old Shelly Fletcher said of how her Ask Gran Not Google concept was born.
“It’s like I wanted instant gratification, immediate answers, so I challenged my cousins (aged six to 34) to stop using Google as a first option and instead ring, Facetime or email our grandparents.
“We did it for a month and the results were amazing.”
So amazing that Shelly’s employer – aged care services provider Feros Care – developed a pilot program based on the concept that has since been rolled out to 10 schools.
It saw more than 1000 students write and video message their questions to special seniors in their life, as well as Feros Care village residents.
“It opens up intergenerational conversations,” Shelly said of what Feros is hoping to develop as a regular part of school curriculum. “Google will give you an answer but it doesn’t take you further.
“In my case it allowed me to better connect with my grandfather ... I was racking his brain on the best way to set up a vege garden and he actually ended up flying from Sydney to help me build one.”
Seven-year-old Charlotte Musgrove was among students at Tweed’s Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School to embrace the Ask Gran Not Google challenge.
“Nana is way better than a screen,” she said of grandmother Lynda Craig.
“We even got to talk to one fella in aged care who is 104. I’d much rather talk to someone who is 104 than look it up on Google. They would be almost as smart as Google.
“I also heard people about the age of 68 have severe eye problems because they had too much screen time when they were little.”