Stella Bvuma is a director at the School of Consumer Intelligence and Information Systems at the University of Johannesburg.

She recently published an opinion article that first appeared in the City Press on 14 July 2024.

Over the past years, when I visited my rural village of Ga-Sekgopo outside Modjadjiskloof in Limpopo, my late grandmother Ntsebatse Moloto used to enthrall me with insights gained from reading the signs of nature.

She could predict life events with startling accuracy, such as a woman who is about to give birth. Listening to her always left me with no doubt that the knowledge so divinely bestowed on me still left my tech self in awe.

When, for instance, I related the story of my visit to a gynaecologist, which included the use of ultrasound and other cutting-edge technologies, during my pregnancy, to the grannies in my village, their response was laughter and amazement.

Such conversations bring into sharp focus the differences between our worlds, the gaping chasm between the worlds of intuition and technology, of tradition and modernity.

The contrasts demand the need to establish an intergenerational bridge, a bridge that could connect the modern technologically advanced world with a traditional world founded on personal relationships and first-hand experiences. That is what I endeavour to do each time I visit my rural home, to share the wonders of technology.

Worryingly, though, my explanations of the theoretical intricacies of information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure are frequently not easily understood. Perhaps they sound too complex and confusing, or the relevance in understanding ICT theory is not obvious to them.

But talk about the useful applications, such as how to use WhatsApp to stay connected with family or the ease and security of mobile money transactions, and I have their rapt attention.

DEMYSTIFY TECHNOLOGY

I try to demystify technology in these talks, stressing how failure to embrace it can keep them from being active in a world that is becoming more and more digital.

It’s so fulfilling educating them about the use of their smartphones and seeing their excitement at the opportunities these devices provide.

I feel especially content when I show them how to video chat with their loved ones.

As evidence of the wonder and novelty that technology brings into their lives, while on a WhatsApp video call, they would say: “You can surely see me, because I see you.”

As these senior citizens embrace modern technology through mobile devices and its conveniences, it’s essential to create awareness and understanding of cybersecurity.

This means teaching them to protect their gadgets as assiduously as they would their most treasured time-honoured secrets is also vital.

Building their digital literacy skills is imperative to ensure inclusivity, but cybersecurity education is also important to ensure that our elders are not left at the mercy of digital predators.

For example, senior citizens are a common target of scammers who want to take advantage of their lack of computer knowledge to steal their pensions and savings. Cybersecurity education pertaining to the use of mobile devices for the payment of SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) grants is essential.

DIGITAL BANKING

As the migration towards digital banking options increases, so does the use of mobile technology become pervasive. Unauthorised access of financial and personal data can result from phishing attempts, phone apps and all manner of scam calls or messages. Educating our senior citizens about spotting and avoiding such dangers protects them from losing their hard-earned monies and savings to fraudsters.

When I visited my father a few weeks ago, I was impressed at how he had become interested in social media platforms. Suddenly, he was watching gospel sermons via TikTok!

Not only that, but he and his buddies had also registered for online banking, which they only used for months before switching back to traditional banking because they were not entirely comfortable using digital platforms. Worried about their vulnerability online, the techie in me jolted me into action, lecturing my father about understanding the importance of personal information protection.

Suddenly, I found myself waxing lyrical about safe online practices, such as making strong passwords, identifying safe websites, and knowing how to adjust privacy settings on social media and other sites. All these are vital to stop would-be scammers fast in their cybercrime tracks. Through knowledge of safe online banking and grant-receiving procedures, senior citizens can continue to be financially independent. This lessens the dependency on others who might mismanage their money or unintentionally become cyber threat vectors.

As a country, we cannot claim that we are making advancements towards the levels of being an inclusive digital society we aspire to without educating our senior citizens.

Of course, the government, together with Sassa, has been working towards digitising grant payments to fight corruption and enhance service delivery, but more needs to be done to ensure that beneficiaries shift to digital platforms in such a manner that they are not exposed to new risks.

This is a serious and urgent task, the type that cannot be deferred.

*The views expressed in this article are that of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect that of the University of Johannesburg.