My mother is not a fan of technology, per se. She was a school psychologist until the age of 72 and NEVER used a computer to score a test or write a report. She did not trust computers then. Nothing much has changed in the last eight years. Mother is fascinated by the way kids are so adept at using technology, but she's still not on board. This Mother's Day, the lovelies and I got Mother a Kindle Fire. We've been putting crossword puzzles and sudoku puzzles on it. We've been putting brain games on it and logic puzzles. We've also put some books on it for her. And, believe it or not, she's actually quite excited about it! Will wonders never cease? Ha!
We haven't given it to her yet because we haven't finished getting it ready and also because I won't let her use it until we can get up there and not only show her how to use it but also give her my course in using the internet safely. This is a must. I do not want her to fall victim to one of those asses who scam older folks.
With Mother finally entering a little bit into the 21st century, I began wondering what grandparents need to know about technology since their grandchildren are being raised in a technology driven world. I'm not so concerned about my own little grand who arrive sometime in July since her parents are technology savvy and I have been teaching technology to elementary students for several years now. But what about those grandparents (and parents) who are not quite so savvy when it comes to technology? Who is going to tell them that safety should be the first concern? Who is going to teach them how to discern between authenticity and a scam? As I often explain to my students in a grandmotherly voice, our grandparents think everyone is so sweet and kind and would never try to scam anyone, which always gets a laugh accompanied by comments such as, "Oh, Mrs. L, my grandmother is just like that!" and followed by stories of what happened to their parents or grandparents.
I'm telling y'all right now that this is a vitally important issue and safety must be taught. So, I'm going to do a bit of investigating and, over the next few weeks, share some thoughts and facts as well as some safe sites and apps that will be fun to enjoy with grandchildren.
Do you have a piece of advice or a fun site/app that you'd like to share? Mention it in the comments and I'll share it!
Kindle has parental controls that you can set. Perhaps you should set them for grandma? As a grandma myself, I am not one of those we need to worry about. I've been using computers since the early 80s when many still had no idea what DOS was. I remember when a 'floppy disk' was really floppy...and 8 inches in diameter!! I remember Multiplan was the spreadsheet everyone used. Excel wasn't even heard of! Viruses and scams have been around for years. But you are right....many of us old folks are clueless. I love my Kindle Fire and know your mom will too!
ReplyDeleteSo many grandparents or older folks have been suckered into losing thousands to hundreds of thousands. I do believe that educating them on digital safety is becoming more and more important. Mother is supposed to call me before she does anything. LOL
DeleteMy mum is not techno either although last year my sister signed her up to Facebook on her phone and tablet and she loves it, she bought herself a tablet last Christmas so she could try and become more knowledgeable about such things.
ReplyDeleteMake sure she stays safe. That's the main thing. It really sucks that no matter what, there are people out there who want to ruin for the rest of us.
DeleteI'm so cynical I'm not likely to fall for scams. Lol My tip is don't trust anyone. Sounds terrible, but has worked so far. I think the most tempting scam for grandparents is the one where their grandkid, supposedly, is writing asking for money because they're in a dire situation. Your mom needs to be kept abreast of the current scams and also, as Terri said, adjust the security settings on her Kindle fire before giving it to her. She's going to LOVE it!! BTW, word on the street has it that y'all are going to meet!! I'm so excited about that. Two of my favorites. xo
ReplyDeleteAgreed! And yes! Terri and I actually did meet. They were up here for a family gathering and were kind enough to take the time to take Molly and I to lunch! It was fabulous!
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