Shall we meet the seniors half way in bridging the digital divide?

Astute shoppers know that today the best prices for goods and services are mostly online.

However, the elderly, even if they are not left out, often end up getting a raw deal in the terra incognita of cyberspace where treachery and pitfalls are common.

So it was comforting to know that Taobao, one of the major online shopping platforms in China, is launching a manual customer service hotline dedicated to the elderly and pensioners during this year's shopping spree on November 11.

Known as Singles Day, the online shopping festival is fueled by discounts, deductions, and vouchers. It registered phenomenal sales when first initiated by Alibaba on November 11, 2009.

Predictably, real person customer service can be more efficient in handling complaints or refunds for the elderly.

According to data from Taobao, by the end of last year, 52.1 percent of seniors aged 60 and above could access online shopping, though only 20 percent of them have lodged complaints, well below the average for young online shoppers.

Considering elderly people's deficiency in coping with Internet transactions and mobile payments, their chances of accidentally racking up exorbitant purchases can be high.

Therefore an obvious explanation for this lack of reported complaints is the seniors' reluctance to undergo the ordeal of lodging complaints online.

Setting aside a manual customer service hot line might smooth things over for them.

The elderly's skepticism for the uncertain online world can be justified.

A doctor at a community hospital said she would refer some of her elderly patients to bigger hospitals for further check-ups, but often these patients would equivocate, showing great reluctance to go. One of the chief causes is that they find it hard to navigate the digital complexity at big hospitals.

To begin with, they have to schedule an appointment online, about which many are totally clueless. As a matter of fact, many elderly go to hospitals merely to be heard, but experts in big hospitals as a rule have little patience with their prattle.

This distrust, aggravated by the fear of making mistakes (many irreversible) and a steep learning curve, makes many seniors shun technology. This results in them feeling increasingly alienated and helpless in a world where everything imaginable is being facilitated by a mobile application.

In bridging the digital divide, we need to meet the seniors half way.

Xu Wen, a journalist in her 40s, observed that it is natural to prefer customer service provided by real persons.

"If you can solve an issue by making a phone call, why the ordeal of endless rounds of exchange of messages, either in text or voice?" Xu asked. Anyone who had the experience of having to argue with a robot would probably agree.

Navigating the uncharted waters of cyberspace could be a particular problem for senior citizens, given their failing eyesight, and their difficulty in keying in words as they fret over the many fancy options. Xu likened it to "a foreigner confronting an interface all in Chinese."

She said we need to be sympathetic with their plight.

"When I reach their age, I would be similarly clumsy at working the smart phone panel, would similarly feel uncomfortable with ordering online, to say nothing of negotiating a replacement, canceling an order, or placing an order at the shortest time possible," she observed.

According to Xu, the imperative is less about adapting the Internet environment to the needs of the elderly than a liberal dose of the human factor.

She elucidated by giving an example. A young couple in her extended family thought of inviting relatives to a home feast during the National Day holiday early this month. Rather than calling one by one, they simply sent a message to the family WeChat group, little thinking of the elderly who might not have a WeChat account.

The couple earned the censure of being irreverent towards the elderly, probably well deserved if you know how these elderly look forward to these occasional family get-together.

Ti Gong

But here a strict demarcation at a certain age can be difficult – some at 90 are still going strong and adapting well, while some are shunning technology at a much younger age.

Jacob von Bisterfeld, an expat at 80, is demonstrating much dexterity in his use of smart devices, and is a vehement proponent for helping make seniors more digital-savvy.

He said that in proceeding with this, group sessions in the community center are difficult.

"They probably won't come and progress will be too slow," he observed.

He believes one to one tutorial in the senior's own house is the best, and this could be done by students in weekends and school holidays, with the students earning points for providing the help. One additional benefit of this tutorial for the elderly is to help them realize they could still function competently in the society, as a useful and important component of the society.

Actually government departments at all levels in China are rolling out various initiatives to help the elderly go digital.

These include differentiated solutions catering to elderly of different age groups, educational levels, living environments and habits.

In Shanghai, for instance, in responding to the advocacy, more than 100 governmental portals, mobile apps and business websites have completed adaptations to help seniors access government services online. This includes coming up with smart devices and apps with easier-to-use features like big screens, larger fonts, applications that respond to voice demand, or simplified screen layouts.

At a matter of fact, efforts are also afoot in setting up training sessions in the vicinity of the elderly, where digital ambassadors would, one-on-one, help grow the seniors' digital literacy.

There are also plans to mint senior digital influencers who would showcase the digital experience in a more dramatic manner and thus help advertise the allure of going digital.

In sectors where elderly use is significant, like in health, nursing, and geriatric care, relevant online and offline service protocols will also be streamlined and coordinated to such a degree that services could be accessed by touching one button.

Ideally, in achieving this, it is advisable to leverage the credibility of the government and the penetration of the market.