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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteHelp an older adult learn technology by starting with something they want to do, then guide them through it while they control the device and pace. Demonstrate one step at a time, let them try it, and make questions and mistakes part of the process. The goal is not simply to finish a task for them; it is to help them do more for themselves when that is what they want.
Start with the person’s goal, not their age
Ask what they would like to accomplish: perhaps make a video call, adjust text size, send a photo, or find a particular setting. Avoid assuming that someone needs help just because they are older. People differ in experience, confidence, vision, hearing, dexterity, language, health, and the tasks they care about.
Make the lesson specific to that goal. If they want to call a relative, practise placing and answering a call rather than giving a tour of every phone feature. Let them choose when to pause or repeat a step.
Teach the task without taking control
- Ask first. Check that they want help and agree on one task to work on.
- Let them hold and operate the device. Sit where both of you can see the screen, and describe what to look for rather than reaching over to tap for them.
- Show one step at a time. Use the words that appear on their screen. Pause after each step so they can find it and ask questions.
- Have them try it. If useful, demonstrate once, then let them repeat the task themselves. Give them time to think before offering another instruction.
- Practise the next time it matters. Repeating a simple, useful task can help turn a lesson into a routine. A short written note in their own words may help, if they want one.
This is an evidence-informed way to teach, not a proven formula. A UK government report distinguishes teaching—guiding someone through a task—from proxy support, where a helper completes it for them. Teaching can support independence, but it takes time and emotional effort and is most often used for simple, repeatable tasks.
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Make room for confidence, access needs, and mistakes
Do not treat difficulty as a lack of effort. In a 2026 UK study of informal digital support, supporters cited lack of digital skills (55%), low confidence online (53%), and fear of making a mistake (47%) among the challenges they encountered. The report also identifies literacy, language, health conditions, unfamiliar terminology, and interface design as relevant factors.
- Ask what would make the task easier: larger text, more time, a quieter room, clearer wording, or a different way to practise.
- Use the learner’s own terms where possible, and explain unfamiliar words without assuming they should already know them.
- Stay calm if something goes wrong. Explain what happened and how to recover, rather than taking the device away or making the learner feel at fault.
- Let the learner set the pace. If they are tired or frustrated, stop and return to the task later.
The same UK report cautions against locating every difficulty in the user: “This reframes digital exclusion as, in significant part, a service design issue rather than a user capability problem.” A confusing screen or inaccessible service may be part of the problem, not a failure by the person using it.
Know when to guide and when to help directly
Guided practice is useful when the task is low-stakes and repeatable. Doing something on the person’s behalf may be more appropriate when a task is urgent, complex, or high-stakes. The important distinction is to agree on which kind of help is needed, rather than automatically taking over.
| Type of help | Useful when | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching support | The learner wants to build a skill for a simple task they can practise again. | It can encourage independence, but takes time and may require patient repetition. |
| Proxy support | A task is complex, urgent, or high-stakes, or the person wants it handled for them. | It can solve an immediate problem, but relying on one helper can leave the person vulnerable if that help is unavailable. |
If you do complete a task for someone, explain what you are doing and involve them as much as they wish. Where a service offers an official way to grant another person access, use that rather than sharing credentials. Do not ask for or keep someone else’s password; use the service’s official permission or account-recovery options where available.
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What the evidence says about digital confidence
The UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s 2025/2026 survey, published in July 2026, found that 95% of UK adults had used the internet in the previous three months. The figure was 78% among people aged 75–84 and 46% among those aged 85 and over. The survey also found that 76% of adults felt able to complete most digital tasks without difficulty, compared with 13% of people aged 85 and over. These are self-reported results for the UK; broad age bands do not describe any individual’s ability.
The same survey found that 56% of UK adults said they had improved their digital or online skills in the previous 12 months. Self-teaching was the most common single method (37%), followed by learning from family and friends (23%). Helping someone is one part of a wider picture in which people learn in different ways.
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Try informal help or a structured program
Family and friends can offer convenient, personal support, but mentoring also takes time, patience, confidence, and sometimes transport or other logistics. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner describes those constraints in a qualitative study of support for people aged 70 and over. Separately, its cited 2017 Youth Digital Participation Survey found that 59% of Australian children and young people aged 8–17 had shown an older family member how to use technology; among teenagers, the figure was 75%. Those figures describe young people in Australia in 2017, not current participation elsewhere.
Structured intergenerational programs offer another approach. A small 2018 study of Cyber-Seniors examined 29 older participants (mean age 73.45) and 28 young adult volunteers (mean age 21.81) who completed at least three sessions. It reported increased social engagement among older participants, improved young volunteers’ attitudes toward older people, and a significant improvement in older participants’ attitudes toward their own technology use, with a medium effect size. Because the study was small and involved program participants, it is promising evidence rather than proof that every program will have the same results.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteEPALE’s March 2026 account of TechBridge describes a model pairing adults aged 50 and over with coaches aged 18–30. It emphasizes real-life scenarios, a learner-controlled pace, and mutual benefit. The page lists the project as ending in February 2026 and describes digital resources including a modular curriculum, trainer handbook, and assessment toolkit; it does not establish that the project is currently running as a service.
UNESCO’s 2025 report draws on case studies in Bahrain, Chile, China, Poland, South Africa, and the United States. Its focus on accessible, age-friendly learning in community and education settings reinforces that participation depends not only on an individual’s motivation, but also on teaching, policy, access, and the learning environment.
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