MOMENTS OF TRUST
It’s easy to assume our parents simply don’t want to try, or are content sticking to familiar routines.
My dad resisted going digital for years. At first, I thought it was stubbornness. Over time, I realised it was complicated. After a lifetime of being the one who knew what to do, asking for help can feel embarrassing. Even small requests require a shift in pride and comfort, and watching him navigate these moments has taught me empathy.
These requests are moments of trust. For adult children, rather than interruptions, they are chances to guide and reassure our parents. Community programmes that teach seniors digital skills succeed not because of their content, but because the environment feels safe: No one is singled out, mistakes are normal and curiosity is encouraged.
Families can do the same. A regular tech check-in lightens the load for caregivers and gives older adults a safe space to ask “dumb” questions. Patient explanations and slow learning become routine care rather than crisis management.
Learning is lifelong and uneven. Helping my parents has made me aware of how disorienting navigating new technology can be, and how much trust is packed into a simple, “Can you help me with this?” Asking for help is brave. Offering it takes patience, a little humour, and resisting the urge to say, “Just do what I did.”
After all, technology will always move faster than people. One day, the roles will flip, and we’ll probably be the ones awkwardly asking our kids to show us how to use neural wallets or whatever the next “must-know” tech is.
Until then, we can approach digital caregiving not as a chore, but as an act of love – slow, patient, and profoundly human.
Nicole Chan is a communications and marketing strategist exploring the intersections of modern work, culture and society.
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