Mumbai: Locked-in elders cross digital divide finally

MUMBAI: Groceries and medicines were being delivered, so that was not a problem. But a big fallout of the lockdown for Shubha Mirani was that she had to stop the music lessons which had become the joy of her life. That was when she was determined to get over her technology phobia. A month into the lockdown, the 65-year-old woman who lives alone was singing on Skype and had mastered netbanking so that she could pay her teacher online.
While for most young folk, digital devices are almost like additional limbs, senior citizens have suddenly realized they need to zoom into an online life to get back some semblance of normalcy. From learning how to pay salaries via netbanking to socializing on zoom, many are treading into the parallel online world, though not without trepidation.
"I still get nervous when doing the transactions online," says Mirani. "There are so many things to focus on. Firstly, I keep forgetting the different passwords. Then, the OTP comes so swiftly and if you type it incorrectly you have to start all over again. It takes me a long time to focus and do it properly. But I find the food delivery services the easiest to navigate."
Mirani adds she is also constantly concerned about being swindled though, because the digital interface is such alien territory.
For others, the move into understanding online banking has led to a new sense of independence. "Forget netbanking, even my checks used to be written by my secretary, and I would just sign them," says 67-year-old Arun Shahani, a retired businessman. "But now I can do all these transactions on my own. I feel liberated and relieved."
Banks have received numerous requests to enable customers' online banking over the last two months. The relationship manager of a leading private bank says he taught his elderly clients how to navigate netbanking through face-time on their smartphones.
"They were perfectly comfortable watching movies on their iPads, but this was a whole new area for them," says the relationship manager. "I am now encouraging them to use mobile banking, but they are saying, let's take it one step at a time."
It is not so much the technology as it is a shift in the mindset.