The elderly and children of today are not just separated by age but by their technology use and skills. We’re a part of a time where our youth are growing up, never knowing a world without technology. In contrast, the elderly population went most of their life without the need for technology. So what happens when a grandparent has to take over parenting for their grandchild? How does a new technology user parent a life long technology user?
The New York Times published an article called “Making Technology Easier for Older People to Use”. In this article they mentioned applications that turn devices into useful tools that make life easier and more efficient. Some examples include turning a tablet into a magnifying glass, an application that uses color codes and alarms for taking medications, or turning an iPad into a remote (Gustke, 2016).
Keeping those ideas in mind, if I were to create an application to aid grandparents in parenting their grandchildren, I would make sure it is easy to use, a simplistic design, and efficient. I would make a “one stop shop” application that includes all parenting aids by the click of one button. This may include easy to read calendars, color coded by person/event/category/etc.., emergency contacts that you can call by clicking on the number, live chat where parenting questions can be asked/advice can be given, how-to videos, and reminders.
Putting all the needed resources to parent most efficiently into one, easy to use, application will be less overwhelming to a new technology user, while still being relevant to this day in age.
Technology in Parenting and Family Relationships 