"Social" Seniors Get Smart on Technology

Last Friday I gave my second technology lecture at the Friendship Heights Village Center. My first, which was in June, was on Facebook (a general "what is") that had so much interest that it lasted for two hours.

I was excited to see many repeat attendees, and this go around we did a technology gadgets overview that covered smart phones, bluetooth, DVRs and other everyday tools. This session, just like the one on Facebook, had a packed house (probably 35-50 people).

The sessions are open to anyone at any age and are marketed to my community in Chevy Chase, MD. I've affectionately dubbed my sessions "Social Seniors" because that's predominantly who shows, and I find their interest very cool. Working through the questions, you realize that we're a society that spends little time educating seniors about technology, even when it's become more integrated in and relevant to their lives. The irony is that they consume alot of information on the topic , so it's not necessarily new -- they just lack the hands-on experience.

Given all of its exposure, Twitter has been a very popular topic during both sessions, followed closely by privacy concerns. Looks like I have my topic for Social Seniors 3...

- Lisa Throckmorton