Seniors bridge the digital divide

Young volunteers in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, help a senior to use his phone. JI YUAN/CHINA DAILY

Program launched

In Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, the Yangfan student club at Xi'an Jiaotong University launched a program in 2013 aimed at helping seniors bridge the digital divide and better integrating them into a smart society.

The program has helped hundreds of retirees from the university, particularly those with no children living with them and who lack basic smartphone and computer skills.

Qu Fengyu, 83, a retired chemistry professor, is one of those attending such sessions each week.

"As the pandemic struck, such skills became essential and it was impossible to live without them," said Qu, whose two children are in the United States.

Her past experience of failing to register online for a doctor's appointment made her determined to learn.

As part of the program, each weekend about 30 student volunteers, mostly undergraduates, meet and help seniors overcome difficulties they encounter in an increasingly digitalized society.

Liu Kaitian, head of the club, said the program has expanded over the years, from computer skills, to smartphone use, scanning QR codes and using apps.

"We all have elderly members of our families and we will grow old ourselves. Seniors shouldn't be abandoned in such a tech-empowered world," he said.

Qu has now mastered shopping online, the use of various apps and knows how to scan QR codes.

"It's not easy to learn at such an age, but the convenience gained is worth the effort. More important, I feel better connected with these warm-hearted students," she said.