I would like to put emphasis on the word “elderly” since I don’t think seniors would have any use for basic computer tips. Nonetheless, I have been receiving several requests from elderly groups trying to get me to teach them basic computer usage and how to deal with “first time” confusion and whatnot hence this post.

Fortunate are those who have patient grandkids to teach them how. Some of the older adults I’ve talked to complained of having impatient daughters and sons who easily give up before they even start. I can firmly attest to the fact that most of these elderly people are curious what’s in the worldwide web for them and if given the chance to do so, they would like to join too. They only need someone to hold their hands during those first, crucial months and that’s exactly what I hope this post would do! Here are some basic, handy tips on how to maximize your computer usage:

·    Email messages are not to be trusted especially if you did not expect it to come. The most popular route of phishing scam is via email, usually in form of warning messages about your account, both online and offline ones. When this happens, never click on the provided link, instead go to the site directly and check your account. Never give out passwords no matter how authentic the request looks like.
·    For visually-challenged seniors, there are three ways to instantly enlarge any web page if it’s giving you a hard time reading. One, you can press Control and plus (+) or minus (-) simultaneously. Two, if you have a mouse that has a roller on top of it, press control and roll up and down. Third, you can locate the “view” option at the top of any web page, click on it, select “Zoom” and take a pick between “zoom in” and “zoom out”.
·    Google can also solve mathematical equations for you. It can also convert currencies and simple centimeters to meter, inches or feet. Just remember to use computer lingo each and everytime!
·    Don’t forget to empty your recycle bins once in a while. In a way, it helps in saving accidentally deleted files so you could restore them. The problem is, it requires manually emptying it even if you deliberately deleted a file!
·    Always have a backup copy for everything you do in the computer. It may not have occurred to you yet but backup files are real lifesavers as dependable systems do crash.