DETROIT – If you are reading this, you had to use the internet to get here. But millions of Americans, especially older adults, cannot do what you just did.
We are talking about digital literacy: the gap between who can use the internet and who is being left behind. And that gap is bigger than most people think.
In the U.S., 96% of adults have access to the internet. But having access and knowing how to use it are very different things.
Research shows adults 65 and older have digital skills that are 40% lower than younger generations. And for Black Americans, the gap is even wider, with digital skill levels running about 10% below the national average.
Low-income households face the same challenge. Only 25% of lower-income adults are considered digitally proficient, compared to 80% in higher-income households.
And in this era, digital skills touch almost everything, from finding a job and scheduling a doctor’s appointment to staying connected with family. And for older adults, not being able to get online is one of the biggest drivers of loneliness and social isolation.
Well, Wayne State University is doing something about it. It launched a program called WISE—the Intergenerational Wisdom Exchange.
It is a 10-week program that pairs Wayne State students with Black older adults in Metro Detroit.
In the first five weeks, students and older adults sit down together and share life stories—childhood, family, friendships, hopes and dreams.
Then, in the second half, each older adult receives a digital tablet and works one-on-one with their student partner to learn real skills—email, social media, video calls, online shopping, and staying safe online.
The program director, Dr. Rodlescia Sneed, joined Local 4 Live to talk more about it.
You can watch the full interview in the video at the beginning of this article.
