So my grandma, who is going to be spending a few months in my house with my mother, opened her first email account today. It got me thinking about how we need to design intuitive interfaces for seniors (or anyone new to computers) to start learning how to use technology. I think far fewer older people use computers and the Internet than the number that can benefit from and contribute their knowledge and experience to the rest of the world. It could be a great way for them to spend time, share their experiences, keep in touch with family around the world. One of the things my other grandparents used to enjoy doing was looking at photos of their children and grandkids on the computer.
You can argue that the next generation (my parents) are already used to computers, so we can stop worrying about this problem. But every day, there are new devices replacing existing ones. We need to make it easier for anyone not familiar with such devices or interaction mechanisms to learn how to use them.
It would be great if we can come up with interfaces that are so intuitive, or that mimic human-human interaction so closely, that there is no “learning” required to be able to use them.
Or, maybe all that is needed is an enthusiastic student and a good teacher. My grandma has learned from my mother how to type and use Google Indic transliteration to type in Kannada in one day. She is now sending me chats in Kannada (which I cannot read) on Google chat 
