The US population has a considerable disparity in age, making the older generations much more alienated from the modern world. There are now more than 40 million people in the US who are 65 and older. These people are having a hard time grasping the world’s changes, and many are scared that they will fade away, not knowing what the younger generation has been doing all this time.
This is why a community needs to foster intergenerational connections, to help community members relate. This will help them learn various things from one another, further enriching their learning in this world. Here are a couple of programs you can implement to help connect generations in your community.
Tech Workshops
The older generation is having a hard time handling modern equipment, which can be detrimental to their lives if they are not taught properly. Pew Research has found a growth in smartphone ownership among the older population in the US. However, many of these seniors don’t exactly know the many features it brings aside from the average text and call features. Many more don’t learn how to troubleshoot common problems that most smartphone owners have.
This is the same for owners of modern technology such as laptops and computers, even smart TVs! Many communities are concerned that many aged might have trouble contacting emergency response teams during a particular incident. This is why neighborhoods are implementing tech workshops run by the younger generation.
These tech workshops can help connect the younger generation to the old ones. It is a healthy connection that builds upon trust and experience. It is also a worthwhile experience to be a part of such a workshop, especially for the older generation. It will teach them the many features of the smartphone.
The workshop can also troubleshoot common problems and help repair smartphones among the older generation in the community. It can be an exciting experience, and the workshop need not be in seminar format. It can be a dialogue between generations, showing the impact of technology in our lives throughout the years.
Veterans Storytelling Program
History plays a big role in our lives, even if we don’t see it from hindsight. Everything we have today is because of the past we had many years ago. Sadly, many people are starting to forget our forefathers’ struggles many years ago, and just like many aspects of history, it is slowly fading away.
It’s estimated that there are only 300,000 to 100,000 World War 2 veterans in the US. Unfortunately, their numbers are diminishing by the minute, and their legacy will soon be lost forever. Sure, there are millions of mediums that dedicate their art to these veterans, but nothing will ever be like hearing their stories firsthand.
If you have veterans in your neighborhood, you can ask them to tell their stories once a month in your community. You can ask them about their struggles and the valuable lessons they have learned from them. This way, your community can remember their legacy firsthand because nothing comes close to the great struggle our forefathers had, fighting for our freedom. It is one experience that the younger generation should never forget.
Group Therapy and Support Groups
Group therapy and support groups can be open to all kinds of people regardless of their age. These programs have been known to connect people based on their struggles and success, and it is one of the best ways you can foster intergenerational relations in your community.
Sharing stories is an essential aspect of human life. It is how we learn and connect. It is also where we help each other to solve problems and determine new solutions to handle them. Group therapy and support groups don’t need to be with people who have mental illnesses. Sure, they are certainly meant for that, but they are also meant for people looking for friends at different life levels.
There are so many things we can learn from one another, especially those in a different generation. Big YouTube channels like Unilad have allowed us to look into these experiences and explore them from two different generations. You can do the same in your community through these support groups. Generations can help one another understand the suffering we are all going through, and by knowing these sufferings, we can find ways to heal ourselves together.
Here are a few programs that will help foster connections between generations in your community. These connections will help your community grow as one, and hopefully, they will help those in need in this ever-changing world.
