Helping Seniors with Tech—Why We Started This Project

Most of us don’t think twice about using our phones or jumping on a Zoom call. We grew up with technology—it’s just part of everyday life. But a few months ago, I realized that’s not the case for a lot of older people, especially those in our local senior communities. For them, phones, tablets, and computers can feel frustrating, even intimidating.

That’s why my friends Finn, Zane, and I decided to start something new through GEN U SLO: a Tech Support Hour just for seniors.

It’s not officially scheduled yet—we’re still finalizing the details—but the idea is simple. We’ll visit a local senior park and offer one-on-one help with whatever tech questions people have. Whether it’s how to FaceTime with grandkids, adjust privacy settings, or just figure out where all the photos went, we’ll be there to walk them through it step-by-step.

We’re not doing this as some big expert team—we’re just teens who’ve had tech in our lives since we were little. And we know that doesn’t make us smarter. It just means we’ve had more practice.

Finn put it best when he said, “It’s not about knowing more. It’s about making sure they feel comfortable asking questions. Once they know we’re here to help—not judge—they’re so much more open to learning.”

Zane shared a story that stuck with me. “I was helping my English teacher the other day—she’s probably in her 50s—and she was having a hard time navigating a Google app during class. I jumped in and walked her through it step by step. It really hit me how overwhelming tech can be for someone who didn’t grow up with it. We don’t even think about it, but a lot of what we know just feels automatic. We take our tech knowledge for granted.”

That’s exactly why we’re doing this. Everyone deserves the chance to feel confident using technology—whether they’re 16 or 76. We’re really excited to launch this Tech Hour soon, and we hope it becomes more than just a help session. We want it to be a space where people connect, laugh, and learn from each other. So if you know a senior who could use some support (or just a little tech confidence boost), let them know we’re coming. We can’t wait to get started.