ST THOMAS SENIORS EMPOWERED WITH ONLINE SAFETY TIPS
Over fifty seniors in St Thomas participated in an Internet Safety awareness session led by the Flow Foundation aimed at empowering them to navigate the online space securely. The session was conducted as a part of an information seminar staged by the National Council for Senior Citizens. The forum focused on educating seniors on best practices for internet safety and provided tips on how they can identify and protect themselves from scammers and phishers Gwendolyn Spencer, aged 85 years, said she got valuable and timely information from the session. “So many people try to take advantage of us because of our age. Earlier I got a call from an individual on behalf of my bank about savings investments. He asked for my details and I promised to call him back with the information. I now recognize that he was a scammer! I will most definitely be calling my bank to make a report. I thank God that I attended this training today” she stated.
Another participant, Stephnie Taylor, shared similar sentiments. She said, “I enjoyed participating in today’s session. I learnt so much. Although I shop ‘in line’ and not online, I know I have to educate myself about the Internet and being safe online. I want to thank the Council and Flow Foundation for this seminar”.
Speaking on their support of the initiative, Shelly-Ann O’Connor, Operations & Projects Coordinator, Flow Foundation said, “Seniors are one of the most vulnerable groups to online scams and fraudulent activities because they are not internet savvy. Therefore, it is extremely important for them to be empowered to protect themselves while online. For this reason, we are committed to supporting internet safety awareness seminars”.
Tamekia Halliman, Programme Organizer - Education & Media, the National Council for Senior Citizens shared, “The pandemic highlighted how important it is for our seniors to understand how to use the internet safely as well as how using their smart devices can be critical and necessary for their sense of wellbeing. They want to talk to their friends, connect with their grandchildren, send alerts if they are endangered or do business online. If our seniors learn how to use the internet and are aware of the dangers, they are more likely to use it safely and more willingly. We could not have had this information forum without including internet safety. We are truly grateful to the Flow Foundation for its continued support of our initiatives and inclusion of older adults in their digital programmes”.
The National Council for Senior Citizens promotes the welfare of all persons 60+ years through their initiatives and activities. Over the years, the Flow Foundation has partnered with the Council on several key initiatives and consider members of the community as an important stakeholder in its drive to empower all Jamaicans through digital inclusion.
