TECH THE HALLS WITH CALLS FOR GRANNY...
SCHOOLCHILDREN have been urged to become ‘superconnectors’ this Christmas by teaching their older relatives how to use technology.
Louth County Council has launched an initiative encouraging youngsters to help older relations get up to speed with communication methods such as video calling. The campaign reflects the fact that many families will not be able to get together as usual this festive season.
The council’s age-friendly co-ordinator, Mary Dunne, a grandmother-of-17, related her own experiences as she highlighted the benefits of becoming tech-savvy.
Last week, Ms Dunne, from Ardee, made her Christmas pudding with nine of her grandchildren lending a virtual hand on a Zoom call. ‘The first step is getting rid of your fears; after that, it is plain sailing, and young people can play a great role in connecting older people remotely, especially if they are apart from loved ones over Christmas,’ she said.
‘When I was doing the Christmas pudding, I got the three grandchildren in Brussels, three in Malahide, Dublin and the others in Ardee on screen. I put a little
Santa figure on the bowl so he was stirring with a wooden spoon and I counted one, two, three and they all made a wish. There was great excitement.’
The 78-year-old, who is the recipient of an Age Action IT Enthusiast award, urged young techies to embrace the campaign.
‘We are asking children to use software such as TeamViewer to take control of their grandparents’ screens, set up accounts and teach them how to use apps in real time,’ she said. ‘Older people need technology in their hands for practical things, but also to combat the loneliness and isolation of Covid-19.’
The council’s Public Participation Network (PPN) co-ordinator, Gráinne Carroll, said the campaign would be beneficial for children with relatives living overseas who are unable to return. ‘If you want to do something really meaningful this Christmas, make sure you can say you connected someone,’ she said. Visit louthcoco.ie and louthppn.ie for details.
Helps to ‘combat the loneliness’