Seniors pick up digital literacy skills at Chong Pang, including tips for safe online shopping

Source: The Straits Times
Author: Zaihan Mohamed Yusof

SINGAPORE - Senior citizens in Chong Pang estate received lessons to improve their digital literacy skills, including tips on how they can safely navigate the online shopping space.

The event at the Chong Pang Community Club on April 6 came in the wake of a report by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), which showed more Singapore residents aged 60 and above were embracing digital tools to communicate, seek information and make payment.

Housewife Jawiah Sarwi, 77, was among a number of residents who turned up from 8.30am for training sessions provided by volunteers, who included several staff members of e-commerce platform Shopee.

Said Madam Jawiah, who was given a $10 voucher and a mug in a goodie bag after the lessons: "I don't want to depend on my children.

"I'll be happy if I can do it (navigate Shopee) on my own so that I can order coffee and milk for seniors."

Volunteers manned 12 learning booths, set up at the community club's multipurpose sheltered hardcourt, for the Shopee Empowers Seniors event.

Seniors and their families received personalised guidance on downloading the shopping app, account registration, and performing e-commerce purchases.

Ms Wen Xin, a volunteer at the event, said residents had many questions including how to make online payments, browse for products on the Shopee app and request for delivery.

Ms Wen, 28, said some seniors were confused when told online shopping may not involve a brick and mortar store.

"(At the start of the lesson), one woman asked 'where is Shopee?' She thought Shopee was a physical store and not an online platform. I told her 'Shopee is in your phone right now'," said Ms Wen.

Each senior received a guidebook to help them recall what was taught to them.

The guidebook showed diagrams and steps on how to log-in, find and use vouchers to checkout a product, and monitor delivery status.

The IMDA also gave a booklet on shopping online safely, with cyber security tips such as not sharing personal or financial details and not clicking on links in messages or e-mails.

The inaugural Singapore Digital Society Report, published by IMDA in November 2023, showed that seniors were becoming comfortable with online transactions - with 78 per cent using e-payments in 2022, up from 33 per cent in 2020.

They also went online to search for information - with 86 per cent doing so in 2022, compared with 53 per cent in 2020.