NNLM AoU Community Award: Getting Connected: Digital Literacy Education for Seniors

We want to empower Asian-American seniors to engage with digital life. The Pew Charitable Trust found that nearly one-third of seniors report never
using the internet. Low-income seniors and seniors with limited English, especially, do not have access. According to the Program for the International
Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), 21% of immigrant adults who speak a language other than English at home have no computer experience,
compared to only 5% of English speakers. Even if seniors manage to get online, they disproportionately fall victim to scams, low-quality sites, or
deliberate misinformation. At a time when, according to Pew, over 70% of internet users search for health information, low digital literacy is a direct threat
to seniors, most of whom suffer from one or more chronic conditions.
To help Asian-American seniors access the internet and get more comfortable on it,
PASSi will purchase laptops for the community computer lab in our Evergreen Center, and expand our already popular, but limited, group computer
classes and one-on-one computer instruction. During classes, seniors will learn to access the internet and online resources, use search engines, validate
high-quality digital health resources, communicate via video messaging, and schedule and participate in telemedicine visits. Seniors will build more than
just practical skills. Studies from Michigan State University have found seniors who used more technology had better self-rated health, fewer chronic
conditions, higher subjective well-being, lower depression, and reduced loneliness. Overall, seniors’ lives and health outcomes should both improve
dramatically with better digital literacy.