The Philippine Online Chronicles

For some, technology has become a means to bridge two far apart generations. High-tech gadgets such as video game consoles, laptops, smart phones and tablets are helping grandparents and grandkids bond and keep in touch with each other.

Some parents and grandparents today strive to understand how to play video games as a way to spend "quality time" with their children and grandchildren.  They say that playing video games with their children and grandchildren help them get closer to the youngsters.

As a bid to keep in touch with family members abroad, the older generation has learned to explore the ins and outs of social networking sites.  It’s one way of keeping social relationships strong and intact despite the distance.

The World Wide Web is not anymore exclusive for younger users but it has become a favorite hang-out of senior citizens as well.

“Lola Techie”

When the Bayan Telelcommunication Inc. (Bayantel) commercial featuring “Lola Techie” was first aired on television in 2009, many were amused to see such a cool and techie grandmother.  The commercial of “Lola Techie” became such a big hit overnight.

After all, it was rare to see a grandma taking over the center stage and overshadowing the youth who were supposed to be the key players of the Internet era.

“Lola Techie” is known as Lola Tessie Moreno in real life. In an article in Manila Bulletin, Moreno described herself as an internet-savvy grandmother who spends a lot of her time online every day. She reads and answers her emails, updates her social networking profiles, plays online games and connects with family members who live abroad.

The marketing ad opened the eyes of Filipinos to the reality that the Internet was becoming more and more significant to everyday life, not only among the young but also among the older generation.

According to Bayantel managing director, Tunde Fafunwa many Filipinos are teaching grandparents how to use computers to be able to stay connected with members of the family.  It’s also a good way to help the seniors to establish a sense of connection with other people who share the same interests.

An online survey conducted by Bayantel, revealed that the young generation of Filipinos who go online are willing to teach their parents and grandparents to explore the Internet.  Many of the survey participants revealed that they are close to their grandparents. Fafunwa pointed that according to a study by AC Nielsen, there would be an estimated 35 million Internet users by the year 2012.

Moreno said that seniors like her can still enjoy and appreciate the modern trends and keep up with the younger generation. “We may not be as sharp as we were before but it does not mean we don’t want to learn anymore. I like to see people in my generation to continue learning and connect to others,” Moreno said.

Here is the latest “Lola Techie” commercial featuring her amusing quips about Facebook, Plants vs. Zombies and Angry Birds.

Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!

Lola Nene

The Internet has changed Lola Nene’s day to day routine.  She used to start the day with coffee and a newspaper on her hand. She still takes her morning coffee fix but she now reads the news via online news sites.

Lola Nene had no interest in gadgets before but her perception changed when her son gave her a laptop early this year.  At first she was unsure if she could handle what she thought was such a “complex” gadget.  She realized that she had no choice but to set aside her tech inhibitions and explore the labyrinth of keys and commands.

To Lola Nene’s delight, her 9-year old grandson was eager to teach her some computer basics.  Lola Nene loves spending time with her grandson and she grabbed that opportunity to spend quality time with the youngster.  He taught her how to turn on the laptop, how to use the touch pad, how to use the alternative cordless mouse, and how to log out properly.  He also showed her the Internet icon and introduced her to the online world.  The youngster was excited to show his Lola his favorite online sites and helped her to make her own Facebook account so she can view photos and videos of friends and play games.

After just a few months, Lola Nene became comfortable and confident in front of the laptop. Soon she found herself exploring the Internet on her own.

Today, Lola Nene spends a good part of her day online. She regularly reads net news; reads and replies to her e-mails and connects with family and friends on Facebook. She enjoys reading Facebook updates and posting her own.  She also plays games like on online Mahjong, Crossword puzzles, Bingo, Scrabble,  Text Twist, Farmville and Gardens of Time.

Lola Nene realized that the Internet is not only fun but very useful as well.  She “googles” anything she is not familiar with or wants to understand better.  Her passion for cooking is ignited by new recipes she finds online.

Lola Nena treats the Internet as a great source of reference for many things waiting to be uncovered.

Lola Teresita and Lolo Armando

The senior couple lives in a cozy bungalow house by themselves. They have three children living in different parts of the world.  They only have one grandchild and he lives in Holland with his parents. Their children and only grandchild rarely goes to the Philippines.

Thank goodness for the power of technology, they found a way to lessen the loneliness of living far away from them.  They made a conscious effort to learn how to use a computer to be able to chat with their children and grandchild and share pictures and videos with them.

They always carry a digital camera with them and take snapshots of interesting places, people and things they encounter. Lola Teresita uploads the photos on their Facebook account and tag their children and grandchildren.

Recently, one of their children sent them an iPad 2. They discovered the ease of using Facetime (video chat system developed by Apple for iPhone 4 and iPad 2).  They use Facetime to chat with their 16-year old grandson.  For them, discovering the power of gadgets is a real blessing.

Photo:  Screenshot “Lola Techie’s Dream Machine” c/o Youtube.

Video: “Buhay na buhay ang Internet” c/o Youtube.

-----------------------------

Rachel Yapchiongco, also known as Rach to her friends, is a Psychology and Marketing Management graduate of De La Salle University.  She took up several units of MBA at the same university.  Rachel is a full-time mom to a charming young boy and married to an entrepreneur with a passion for cooking. She shares parenting experiences and slices of everyday life on her personal blog called Heart of Rachel.