Get Your Parents Interested in Tech

Wanting your parents or even your grandparents to be more tech-savvy is pretty common. For some, it’s a problem that they want to solve so that they can stop playing tech support. For others, it’s that they want their parents to enjoy the benefits of technology. Tech can help you stay in touch, give your parents new and fun things to do, and even help to keep them safer. But if they’re not particularly knowledgeable about technology, how do you get them to get in touch with their tech side? Firstly, don’t force it. Once you’re sure they’re on board, try these tips.

Suggest a Tech Class or Workshop

Do you know the horror of trying to provide tech support for your parents? It can be hugely frustrating for both of you. They don’t understand why you’re getting annoyed, and you don’t understand how it can be so difficult to follow and remember simple instructions. You’ve seen your parents do much more skilled things, so why can’t they get this? If you want to avoid having to deal with at least the small stuff, suggest a tech class or workshop. You can often find them at local libraries or community centers. Your parents might learn better from someone else.

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Choose Tech That’s Easy to Use

While you might want your parents to be all over every new type of tech, it might be asking a bit too much of them. If you want to connect your parents with some tech that’s useful for both you and them, you need to make sure they can use it. Something that everyone should have is a cell phone, but some people still don’t have them. If your parents are older, you can even get them a phone designed to be easy to use, with a larger display and simple buttons. You can visit Snapfon for info on how to get one. Consider the fact that many gadgets might seem intuitive to you, but that doesn’t mean that they are for everyone.

Connect Them With the Things They Love

Forcing technology on your parents isn’t going to work if they’re not interested. If you want them to get more from the tech you introduce them to, use it to connect them with things that they already like. Do they enjoy reading? See if they might enjoy a tablet or e-reader. Do they like card games or playing chess? Download some apps they can play with. You can also get them online to join in with communities related to their interests. There are many forums and Facebook groups that cover a huge range of topics, from knitting to cars. Of course, being able to communicate with you and maybe their grandchildren is a good thing for them too. As well as just speaking on the phone, you can use video chat to see each other.

If you can get your parents interested in technology, it can be good for both you and them. But if they’re not interested, don’t force them or it could end in frustration for both of you.