80 per cent elderly in Delhi-NCR digitally illiterate: Agewell Foundation

New Delhi: Around 80 per cent elderly people in Delhi-NCR, who are digitally illiterate, said that the lack of computer skills and digital literacy is affecting their life, according to a recent survey conducted by Agewell Foundation.

The NGO interviewed over 5,000 old people in Delhi-NCR during August-September, 2017, to assess the impact of changed environment on the lives of these people. Out of total respondents, 85.8 per cent were found to be digitally illiterate, out of which 85 per cent grumbled that their younger family members avoid communicating with them due to their relatively more demanding lifestyle and the inability of older family members to understand the digital language of communication. Besides, 82.4 per cent digitally illiterate respondents claimed that they consider themselves as the under-privileged lot of society in new settings which is governed by modern IT and Internet. While the digitally illiterate are keen to learn soft skills, despite their old age, approximately 51 per cent claimed that there are hardly any facilities where they can do so. Another 44.6 per cent claimed that they have no idea about that while just 4.5 per cent admitted that they knew about some facilities where they can get digital training.  

The survey also found that older people want to learn soft skills and internet for reasons like internet banking, online payment of utility bills, getting benefits of government financial inclusion schemes, social media, online entertainment, etc.  Agewell Foundation has been conducting a project titled ‘Digital Literacy Program for Older Persons’ to provide free computer and digital training to digitally illiterate elderly so that older persons can use modern day digital equipment and remain in the mainstream.  So far, it has set up training centres at over 75 different locations spread across Delhi-NCR and trained over 7,125 elder people, making them digitally literate.