As more seniors head online, efforts are needed to help their digital media literacy skills [Video]

On a sunny summer afternoon, Susan Goldstein navigates a web browser as her teenage tutor cheerfully offers an occasional tip or encouragement.

Goldstein has been reluctant to buy a computer but took the plunge earlier this month after finding herself “up against a wall more and more often.” 

While the Toronto senior has used her smartphone to test out banking services and look up information, with her “older eyes” and interest in trying Zoom calls, it was time for a bigger screen. 

“You can’t communicate with anybody unless you go online. It’s very frustrating,” Goldstein said. “I’m being left behind.” 

It’s a world that Adriel Lumampao, a teen volunteer with the Toronto Public Library’s Seniors E-Connect program, is excited to help Goldstein and others navigate. His efforts are helping them build their digital skills and dive into the “limitless possibilities” of searching the web.