SMC’s newest course for the community is ‘Technology for the 3rd Age’, aimed at retirees who would like to manage and understand their device better. A warm and supportive environment where there is no such thing as a silly question. 

If you’re under the age of 25, imagining a world without the internet, Google, not just a mobile phone but a smart phone would seem almost post-apocalyptic. For the generation that has never not known the internet, technology is second nature but for everyone else it has been a learning curve. Mobile devices and smart phones are part of everyday life, but for many in the third age technology is still a foreign concept.

Trying to keep up with the grandkids, as they talk at 100 miles an hour is hard enough to begin with, let alone when the words they are using have a completely different meaning or are so new they might as well be from another language.

Tablets are now not only something you take if you are sick but a general-purpose computer contained in a touchscreen panel.

Cloud? Not just something you look at to determine if you should take an umbrella with you, but now also an invisible filing cabinet where you store data and programmes over the internet. 

Spam is not just a tinned meat product but more commonly, unsolicited messages sent over the internet. 

Tweet, gram, catfish, the list of repurposed words goes on, and then comes the words that are completely new; selfie, meme, emoji…asking what these mean might not be life’s hard-hitting questions but knowing the answers may help you feel better connected to your grandkids, more included in online spaces like email and social media and give you the trump card in your next scrabble game (yes these words have been officially added to the Oxford Dictionary).

In the environment we live in, the best way to keep in touch with grandchildren, family and friends may involve texting and emailing. It doesn’t have to be a daunting task – let us help you demystify your device.

So, make sure you’ve got your tablet (and taken your tablets if need be!), checked the weather forecast to see if those clouds are going to clear and come along! We can’t wait to help you understand and enjoy what technology has to offer and have a laugh with you along the way about ‘what the kids have come up with’.

When: Thursdays at 10:00am – 11:30am from 8 March to 31 May
Where: Centre of Innovation at St Margaret’s College
Cost: $50 for 10 weekly sessions
Book: Call Linda Chong on 03 353 2560 ext: 8889 for more information and a registration form