Should we teach older people how to use messaging apps? See tips

If you need to teach your grandfather, uncle or even an older neighbor how to use it. WhatsApp? Regardless of your level of intimacy with the person, these situations expose strong cultural and age barriers.

Common Sense reiterates this advice: Be patient. But is this really the only necessary virtue? no. Good communication, technical, listening and encouragement skills can impact the success or failure of a student’s educational journey.

We invited Luciana Allan, director of the Instituto Crescer, to comment on the virtues young people should have when it comes to older people trying to use messaging apps. check it out

The medium is the message

“Knowing how to communicate is one of the most important teaching skills,” says Allan. The reason for using the expression “printer” or “right“What if the person holding the phone doesn’t understand? What if I told you that you could take a picture of the screen by pressing two buttons at the same time? Sentences become longer but simpler.

Good interaction fosters joint engagement between students and teachers, Allan says, which promotes understanding for both. “Communication is not just about words, it is about looking into the other person’s eyes.”

Don’t be an ‘expert’

It sounds controversial, but it isn’t. The main needs of older people are simple: Whether it’s sending text messages, making voice and video calls, or accessing public services or banking apps, Allan says. But in some cases, it’s also worth teaching your child how to incorporate stickers, emojis, and GIFs into conversations.

In Brazil, where 66% of older people will already have access to the internet by 2023, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), full lay communication is unlikely to be possible. “It’s important not to limit the learner’s goals,” he says.

encourage the other person

Celebrating achievements is an important part of the process. When you’re trying to teach someone, you’ll need to be prepared in advance to repeat instructions and handle frustration, but showing a little enthusiasm goes a long way. “Emotionally recognizing progress increases self-esteem and builds engagement to take on new challenges,” says Allan.

Contextualization

It is much easier for people who are exposed to skills when they are young to acquire them due to the greater neuroplasticity that exists at this stage of life. You also need what he calls “cultural fit,” he says. “The word refers to the values ​​and beliefs that each person has. So, if the length of the audio is not an issue for the person, continue like this.

Even children get angry when they are treated like children, so why would older people like it? “Always remember that you will be teaching him the skills. But there are hundreds of other things he can teach you over the course of your relationship,” he replies.

security

This application is widely used by criminals. You should take the time to explain how the scam works and the best ways to protect yourself so that the next victim doesn’t become someone you teach. “Show examples of people posing as family members asking for loans, promotional ads, or links advertising prizes,” he suggests.

The National Office for the Rights of Older Persons has a booklet detailing some preventive measures worth looking into. “WhatsApp fraud is classified as a property violence crime and, according to the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship, the number of crimes committed by this team amounts to 74.2 thousand, almost half of which are committed against the elderly.”

Try it yourself

Now that you’ve learned the action part, it’s time to get down to business. See below for key elements of the application that need to be taught.

Find the main features of the app, such as the search bar, camera, and add contact icon. It’s best to mention it step by step. For example, in the top right there is a ‘little camera’ for taking photos and movies, and a + sign for creating contacts, starting new conversations or setting up groups.

From bottom left to right, you’ll see updates/status, which are texts, photos, videos, GIFs, and voice messages that last for 24 hours. You can also subscribe to news sites. The next feature is ‘Connect’, which is a traditional audio feature, and this is the same place you can see a recording of this feature.

In a ‘community’, people gather into groups around a specific topic (e.g. condominium groups or football team fans). ‘Conversations’ shows all the messages you’ve received or sent. In ‘Settings’ you can edit your profile and enable privacy, security and storage features.

When you click on a contact’s photo within a conversation, you can access all content exchanged with that person, personalize their appearance, and set their privacy preferences. You can block and report contacts here.

In ‘Camerazinha’, a video call starts when you click, and in ‘Telefone’, a voice call starts.

The + at the bottom of the screen opens a variety of options, including selecting a photo, opening the camera, sending location, sending contacts, sending documents, and making payments. You can also create polls, a frequently used utility in groups.

The dollar sign on the right takes you to a screen where you can make payments, but this only works if the application is synced with your digital wallet (I’ll leave that aside after the whole guide is uncomplicated).

Below are the photo and audio message icons. Just press the button and start talking. When you’re done, release your hand and a message will be sent.

Criminals act in three main ways on WhatsApp, understand how the scam works, and never fall for it.

1. Phishing: To obtain personal data, such as passwords or credit card numbers, criminals pose as companies, friends, or family members and trick victims into providing this information or clicking on malicious links. Teach older adults to always be suspicious of messages requesting financial resources in any form, even if they appear to come from a financial institution.
2. Social engineering: Criminals approach victims, pretend to be relatives, tell them they have changed their phone number, and ask for a Pix or WhatsApp verification code to clone the account. It’s important to talk about the topic and make sure older people pay attention to messages like these.
3. Spy apps: Secretly monitor user activity and track personal information such as calls, location, and even banking information. These applications are installed when criminals break into a device through a link or download an app from outside the phone’s official store. At this point, it is important to address the possible risks of clicking on unknown links, even if they appear to be from trustworthy sources.

What should I do if my relative falls for a WhatsApp scam? The first step is to file a police report online. Report it to your state’s civil police website, especially if the money was wired. Then, contact WhatsApp support and provide your country code, email, phone number with your phone’s operating system and details about what happened.

For your safety, delete any suspicious applications or applications that seniors have not downloaded. You can check it in ‘Settings’.