Civic groups help older adults keep pace with the digital world

Today, scanning a QR code or using Google Maps seem nearly indispensible to everyday life. But for many older adults, the virtual world can be inhospitable and difficult to navigate. According to government data, only 43% of people aged 65 and up use the internet. It''s usually not for the lack of will many seniors say they want to learn, but don''t know how to get started. To help raise digital literacy, many civic groups now offer events and lessons tailor-made for beginner users. Today we meet some seniors who refuse to be left out of the digital revolution. Our Sunday special report.

Tim Cook
Apple CEO
Masako. Masako Wakamiya is just 82 years old. And she’s from Japan and she published her first app earlier this year.

At Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference in 2017, company CEO Tim Cook turned the spotlight on Masako Wakamiya. The 82-year-old Japanese woman was the oldest developer at the conference.

Wakamiya was 60 when she purchased her first computer. By the age of 81, she had developed her first app, a design game targeting older adults.

Masako Wakamiya
App developer
Being at home all the time makes your social circle very small. I got serious about improving my situation, and I discovered computers.

Technology is quickly changing our world, and for older adults, learning to use these new technologies can take courage.

In 2021, the Hondao Senior Citizen’s Welfare Foundation held a unique event: An esports tournament for older adults. They recruited players from all around Taiwan to show that technology can be mastered at any age.

In the end, they found 28 players with a combined age of over 1,800 years. After three months of training, they were divided into three teams to compete in a League of Legends tournament. On the big day, more than 50,000 people tuned in to watch.

At 75 years old, Liu Meng-te was the oldest player in the tournament.

He boots up his computer and puts on his earphones, ready to dive into the virtual world.

He’s transfixed as he battles enemies on the monitor, expertly placing his attacks. It’s hard to imagine that Liu is a cancer survivor. He is also hard of hearing, and uses hearing aids in day-to-day life. To learn how to play League of Legends, he traveled from Taipei to Taoyuan every week, and stayed up until 2 or 3 a.m. each night to hone his skills.

Liu Meng-te
Esports player
I like trying new things. Challenging myself to try different things is good. I don’t care about winning and losing, or about what others might think. If I like something, I just go and do it. I think esports are a very suitable activity for older adults. They can stimulate our brains and senses and keep dementia at bay. It’s also good for our mental and physical wellbeing. For example, during the pandemic, we can go online to play games together and interact with other players.

Liu doesn’t just play esports on his computer. He practices his language skills over videoconference with members of a Japanese reading club. He also runs his own YouTube channel.

Liu Meng-te
Esports player
I think retirement has been the best part of my life. I can be completely carefree. I can do whatever I want.

There aren’t many older adults as tech-savvy as Liu, but there are many who want to at least dip their toes in the virtual world.

We’re at Qunxian Borough Office in Taipei’s Da’an District, where seniors are stretching and warming up their hands. They have to get their fingers ready for today’s class, where they will learn how to use a smartphone.

During the two hours of class, instructors teach them how to use Google Maps step by step.

All the students are aged 60 and up. The oldest is 86-year-old Mr. Tsai, who takes careful handwritten notes in class.

Mr. Tsai
Student
If you don’t change with the times, you’ll be left out. I find that phones are part of our everyday lives. Without a phone, you’d be very bored.

This tech course offers 11 two-hour lessons on the basics of Google apps, camera functions, social media, online health management, electronic invoices and even food delivery platforms. Students learn things they can use in everyday life, delivered in bite-sized portions by their instructors. More and more of these courses are being offered nationwide, as demand for tech literacy increases.

Ms. Tsai
Student
I’ve asked my kids before. But I always had to wait for them to have free time. So I thought, I might as well learn it myself. My kids say that there’s no use in teaching me because I forget what I’m told. So I took matters into my own hands and came here.

Chen Lin
FunAging cofounder
Before every class, some students will say things like, “I asked my son again yesterday and he told me I h

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