Older people take lessons in texting

For many older people, texting is something they would really love to learn. So much has changed during their lifetimes and most especially the means by which people keep in touch. For example, the only way people kept in touch especially ordinary families who did not have a telephone was by writing letters.

Sending texts and emails requires a much different set of skills from writing letters. Many years ago people would sit down and write long missives in meticulous handwriting containing all their news and information.

These days however letter writing is considered to be mere "snail mail" while the most popular way to keep in touch is text and email. The old realise that the young are old hands at this sort of thing so it is a good idea to take some lessons from those who know best!

Gateshead Older People's Assembly organised a mobile phone training session after receiving a letter from a lady who was having difficulty accessing features on her mobile phone. Said Assembly coordinator Chris Barker: "She wanted to text and didn't know how. She suggested we run some sort of event and when we asked some of our members, they felt the same. Some of them had received texts from their grandchildren but didn't know how to reply to them.

"We thought it was a good idea to get young people involved and asked Gateshead Youth Assembly if they were interested."

15-year-old Amy Pattison who was a tutor at the classes explained: "I find it really easy because I have been doing it for so long but I can see how it might be hard for older people because there are different ways of texting."

The problem for older people is that although many like to use mobile phones, often they do not know how to make full use of their features.

Nancy Harrison who is 85 said that she has a mobile phone which she uses for occasional calls and that her son likes her to have it for emergencies. She said that she would like to learn how to send texts but that she would need several lessons. It is all so different now to when she was a girl she said. When she was 15 hardly anyone had a phone and they used the phone box at the end of the street when they needed to make an important call.

What's this?