3 Reasons Why You Need To Teach Your Parents How To Use A Computer

Teaching older generations how to use technology can be very challenging. Since December, I had been contemplating buying my Mom a laptop to teach her how to do online payments and take better charge of her finances and social life. For many years, she was very intimidated to learn how to manage technology, but it wasn't until my Grandmother got sick that she began to give-in. She learned how to use phone apps to communicate with our family in Mexico for free, and learned how to text.


But my Mom still has a lot to learn; therefore, when I was contacted to collaborate with Microsoft, I did not hesitate. It's as if they read my mind. Microsoft's 15.6 inch Dell Inspiron is just what my Mom needs. Why? Well:

• It has a large 15.6 inch full HD screen. I don't know about you, but I've noticed older generations have difficulty adapting to smaller gadgets.
• It is touchscreen! WHAT? I need this in my life as well. This Feature makes life easier for my Mom because she does not have to spend hours staring at the keyboard looking for the correct key to press.
• It navigates as easy as a smartphone or tablet. Since my mom is already familiar with tablets and smartphones, this has made it easier for her to navigate the system as the desktop has a similar layout as a tablet does, which makes her feel more familiar with it; thus, less intimidated.
• It has a 3D Camera. This is ideal for Skyping with family abroad.
• You can speak to it! This is my favorite part. She can speak to the computer and ask to open the internet, open Word, look for x or y. This saves me a lot of time trying to explain where to go and how to find things.

In addition to those great features, Microsoft also offers free personalized classes to help customers familiarize with their computers so that they can use their gadgets at full potential. I think this is great because it avoids a little of the stress and fear that people feel when learning something completely new. These classes are also available in Spanish at some locations. I'm definitely, taking advantage of these so that my Mom can get professional guidance.

So, why do we need to teach our Parents how to use a computer?

1. Independence- Technology is all around us, and the longer they wait to start familiarizing with it, the more difficult it'll be to learn later on. By knowing how to use and manage a computer, individuals will be more independent as they will be able to search for things online, manage their payments, pay rent, shop for necessities etc.
2. Saves Money and Time- I grew up in a time when payments always had to be mailed. Little by little technology evolved and now I do everything online. On occasions, my Mom asks for me to help make a payment. I don't mind it, but it would be great if she could learn how to do that by herself all of the time. I can just see her using her time more effectively, saving money on stamps and avoiding the tedious job of shredding bills by going paperless. She would even save herself from the lines at the DMV for simple renewals, and she can even shop online by herself instead of waiting for me to look up a product or review. I hope that now that she has her own Dell laptop she will be able to fully take advantage of all the benefits that technology has to offer. I've already seen her search for house décor :D
3. Family Unity- As I mentioned before, my mom started to learn how to text out of the desire to connect with our family in Mexico. With this Dell Inspiron laptop, she will have access to a good camera and she will be able to see our family on the other side of the world in a bigger screen.

Although technology can seem as a given to many of us, we need to take some time to teach our parents, grandparents, and older family members how to use technology, specifically, a computer. This will allow them to become more independent, save time and money, and connect with their family abroad more often.

Teaching them may take us hours, days, weeks, and even months, but we have to keep in mind that they grew up in a different time. We have to be patient! When helping them pick a new computer, definitely keep in mind the size of the screen and the desktop layout. If you want to read more about the Dell Inspiron Series, click here!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Microsoft . The opinions and text are all mine.