Local authorities in Japan are increasing efforts to assist older adults in using smartphones to keep up with the rapid digitalization of administrative processes. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government held an event in the Nakano Ward shopping area on Oct. 10 to answer seniors’ questions on how to use smartphones.
The generational “digital gap” was made more apparent due to the challenges older people who had no internet access faced when making coronavirus vaccines.
On Oct.10 and 11 of October, the Tokyo government, working with telecommunications companies and other organizations, hosted sessions to assist the elderly in making use of smartphones in a total of around 30 locations, including shopping malls and cultural centers and housing complexes.
Around 540 people have used the service, and half of them responded to a questionnaire; there was no one near enough to inquire about the use of smartphones.
As online services are expanding rapidly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tokyo government plans to host 200 workshops to answer questions regarding smartphone usage from older people and hold 750 classes where users will be able to experience the devices themselves till March 2022.
The classes occur in locations that are easily accessible to older people and will provide more basic instruction than the ones offered through the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry at mobile phone shops as per the Metropolitan Government. “The first step is to get people used to using smartphones frequently,” an official said.
Hamamatsu City Office in Tokyo started classes within community centers in May. They help older adults learn how to use smartphones and organize video conferences, the latter experiencing a rise due to increasing numbers of people who have decided to avoid leaving the house.
A city official stated that the courses are so popular that the students have to be chosen through a lottery. Smartphones are an area of study in a lifelong learning program run through the city’s municipal administration.
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