GRAND Spring 2021 Vol. IV Ed. I

Media &
Technology
Developing Digital Literacy
To access the free resources, visit
YouthTeachingAdults.ca/resources.
Youth Teaching Adults is a collaboration
between ABC Life Literacy Canada
and Youth Empowering Parents and
is partly funded by the Government
of Canada through the Digital Literacy
Exchange Program.
With an end date to the pandemic
still not clear, Canadians
are struggling to cope
with physical distancing after a long
winter. With seniors being the most
vulnerable to COVID-19, they are
likely to spend more time distancing
for longer than the rest of the general
population. Sadly, this isolation can
have major repercussions.
A recent study showed that social
disconnection puts older adults at
greater risk of depression and anxiety,
and can even lead to health problems
such as cognitive decline and heart
disease. People with strong social
bonds are 50 per cent less likely to
suffer negative effects from isolation
than those who have fewer social connections.
While technology can be effective
in connecting isolated seniors
with friends and family, access to
technology is still an issue.
According to Stats Canada, in 2016,
68.2 per cent of seniors had access
to the internet, up from just 32.2 per
cent in 2007. While this growth is positive,
30 per cent of the ageing population
still has no access to the internet.
And of those who do have internet,
many don’t have strong enough digital
literacy skills to use videoconferencing
tools that may help to improve
their mental health.
22 GRAND grandmag.ca