NSW Government and Telstra partner to present tech savvy roadshow for seniors

Seniors are particularly vulnerable to Internet scams, and can struggle with the kind of smartphone usage now essential to our daily lives.

The 2017 Tech Savvy Seniors Regional Roadshow visited Griffith City Library on Friday, giving elderly residents the chance to ask all their tech-related questions. The roadshow is an initiative of the NSW Government in partnership with Telstra.

Chris Talyor, Telstra Area Manager, said ““I remember my Dad ringing me up and asking how to rewind his DVD disc.”

He said we often assume that older people will know how to use the devices younger people navigate so easily. But to seniors, the technology can be both alien and confronting.  

“Banks will generally never send you an email asking you to click on a link," Super Library Mike told the crowd. It’s common from Internet predators to pretend to be banks in order to access bank details. 

The best thing to do is to try and verify the source of where an email is coming, he explained. Don’t click on their links or provide them information when they phone you. If someone is representing themselves as a part of Westpac, for example, the best thing to do is to call the Westpac number or visit the Westpac website yourself to verify if what they are telling you is correct. 

Mayor John Dal Broi told the crowd, “I didn’t know how to use an Ipad when I returned to council. I see my grandkids use them and it scares me to see how much they can do.”

Cr Dal Broi said Griffith City Library was the best in rural NSW. 

Library manager Christine Del Gigante returned the compliment by saying the council has always given the library full support. 

Griffith City Library class also has its own free tech savvy seniors course, which provides training to people over 50.

Complete beginners – who think apples and blackberries are just fruits – are more than welcome. 

The class gives participants the skills they need to use the Internet and devices like iPads in a friendly, small group training environment. 

The four week training course starts Mondays 29 May, from 10am to noon. Call the library on 69628300 to register your interest, and visit Griffith City Library for more information.