The focus of computer literacy training for the elderly in the Vitebsk region has shifted to online communication

The pilot testing of a computer literacy training program for the elderly is underway in the Vitebsk region. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by the regional institute for the development of education.

The pilot testing of a computer literacy training program for the elderly is underway in the Vitebsk region. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by the regional institute for the development of education.

The adult continuing education institution, in conjunction with the regional organization of the Belarusian Red Cross Society (BRCS), is implementing a project to teach pensioners computer skills. The project was launched in the summer, and on October 29, classes with a second group of elderly people will begin at the institute. In both cases, these are members of the "Golden Age" initiative group involving the elderly, which was established under the Pervomaysky district organization of the BRCS.

"The program, which was initially developed for the classes, underwent significant changes during the work with the first group. After mastering the basic computer skills, we immediately move on to working on the Internet. This is due to the fact that the elderly need computer literacy for information retrieval and communication. Therefore, the training program focuses on creating their own social media pages and acquiring Skype skills. 36 hours are allocated for mastering all the intricacies of "online" life," the institute explained.

The regional organization of the Belarusian Red Cross Society added that this year it is planned to train 30 people in computer-based communication skills. "This is a small number, but we expect that each of those who have completed the training will share their knowledge and skills with their peers among relatives and friends. And in general, training the elderly in special Internet programs will solve several problems at once. Firstly, it will help break the social isolation that people fall into after retirement. The Internet allows access to any information, communication with relatives and friends who are thousands of kilometers away. Secondly, the mastery of virtual space by pensioners will help reduce the generation gap - grandmothers and grandfathers will find it easier to communicate with their grandchildren. If they wish, they can also do this on social networks," the regional organization of the Belarusian Red Cross Society said.

Alena Tikhonova