The government is using the
digital divide but the problem is that some people cannot access. As the ICT
technology keeps upgrading to better cater to the needs by many people, the
ways to handle those products get increasingly complicated. The instructions
found in the new application in the Internet such as Google Chrome, or Ping
are using many technical words most of the time, and this makes older
generation difficult to use it effectively.
As mentioned earlier, a
significant proportion of the older generation had gone through the
education system with a relatively low level of aid by IT (if not, not at
all for some) , so they often find these new upgrades of technology
difficult to follow up. This poses a problem, as older generation may
not continue to use the perpetually-changing programmes in the long run.
General Household
survey (Straits Times Interactive, 2006) revealed that the number of
elderly living alone shot up from 15000 to 22000. Older generation might feel lonely as they do
not have many people to talk with, and this problem can be even more worsened
by current social problem in which older generation and younger generation
do not live together. With Internet increasingly used in major activities
including public services, older generation who do not have computer skills
may be left out and deprived of participation due to their inability to use
the Internet. The most effective way for older generation to interact with
other people and get updated independently is through the Internet.
There is currently an attempt to promote
IT literacy among senior citizens. According to RADM(NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Senior
Minister of State, Ministry of Information, Communications and The Arts,
and Ministry of Education, two new IT learning hubs termed as the Silver
Infocomm Junctions (SIJ), have been established to help senior citizens to
learn IT literacy (Amelia, 2014). Although I feel that this is a good attempt,
it could be even better.
School students could be invited to teach
the older generation (as part of Community Involvement Programme which is
compulsory activity to be fulfilled)Ministry
of Social and Family Development (MSF)and Ministry of Education
(MOE) could collaborate together to organise the activity to help
the older generation to be able to master the skills of using the Internet,
taught by students who have right computer knowledge. In this way,
students can learn to communicate effectively with the older generation as
they teach them, and understand the common problems that these members of the
older generation face when handling the Internet. This will in turn make
students able to treat their own grandparents with better understanding. Older generation can also
benefit greatly, as they learn the skills to bring themselves into the online
social circle to be kept in touch with their friends, and family members
for those who are not living with their children. This will yield a win-win
situation for both students and older generation.
In conclusion, it would
require a lot of effort to overcome the problem, 'digital divide'. The
Ministry of Education should work to minimise this problem of digital
divide. At the same time, the older generation should also take the
initiative to learn as much as possible to help themselves.
References
Channels : New IT Learning
Centres for seniors in Singapore (2008, 28 Nov)
Retrieved from http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/new-it-learning-centres-for-seniors-in-singapore
The Straits Times Interactive
: Sharp rise in the number of elderly living alone (2006, Aug 2)
Retrived from : http://www.touch.org.sg/files/news020806.pdf
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