(Observation of the Two Sessions) How do "silver-haired people" embrace digital life?

Two sessions release more good sounds

　　China News Service, Beijing, March 8th, title: How do "silver-haired people" embrace digital life?

Two sessions release more good sounds

　　China News Agency reporter Ma Xiuxiu

　　Recently, the smartphone class for the elderly in Ganjiaxiang Community, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province ended.

This class covers the content of adding friends, sending friends, online payment, appointment registration, etc., so that a class of "students" with an average age of about 70 years old has gained a lot.

　　"In the past, we didn't use QR codes to pay at all. Now we just scan it." Sun Jianzhong, a resident of Ganjiaxiang Community, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, said that the courses have solved the pain points in life.

　　Sun Jianzhong's experience is only a microcosm of the life of the elderly in the mobile Internet era.

In a digitally transformed society, on the one hand, the elderly have the needs and desires to connect with the society, and on the other hand, they are often unable to enter and exit public places such as vegetable markets and supermarkets due to the insurmountable "digital divide".

　　As of the end of 2019, there were approximately 254 million people aged 60 and over in China, accounting for 18.1% of the total population, of which only over 60 million were netizens.

In this context, it is urgent and necessary to help the "silver-haired people" quickly embrace digital life.

　　In response to this, the State Council of China issued the "Implementation Plan on Effectively Solving the Difficulties of the Elderly in Using Smart Technology" in November 2020, to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China, which is launching a special action to adapt to ageing and barrier-free Internet applications, and then to provinces Districts, cities) have successively introduced policies, and the government has taken action.

During the National Two Sessions this year, more good voices were released.

　　Smart products are suitable for aging

　　For the elderly, many smart products are "too complicated."

Simple and easy to use are the common demands of the elderly for smart products.

　　Ding Zuohong, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Yuexing Group, suggested that mobile phone manufacturers and APP developers, as early as the product development and design stage, can launch a more humane and refined elderly model based on the physical and mental characteristics of the elderly to provide convenience for the elderly The customized smart products used allow them to keep up with the times in time.

　　Zheng Bingwen, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and director of the World Social Security Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that aging electronic products should be based on the needs of the elderly, and electronic manufacturers need to keep pace with the times.

When designing mobile phones for the elderly, mobile phone manufacturers must take into account the eyesight of the elderly and the characters on the screen must be large enough; they must also take into account that the size of the mobile phone should not be too large or too heavy.

　　Lei Jun, a representative of the National People's Congress and chairman of the Xiaomi Group, said that the current age of similar products is uneven, and the ageing of software and hardware products are not synchronized or matched, which seriously affects the elderly's experience of using smart products.

He suggested that relevant departments formulate overall requirements for smart technology ageing standards, and that the government, enterprises and social groups work together to establish a special standard system.

　　Service avoids "one size fits all"

　　In addition to the poor experience of using smart products, it is also a major problem for the elderly to handle various types of business in their lives "online".

Many elderly people have difficulties with self-service registration, mobile payment, e-tickets, and scan codes in terms of medical treatment, consumption, and travel.

　　In response, Yang Yuanqing, representative of the National People’s Congress and chairman and CEO of Lenovo Group, proposed that public service departments such as hospitals, stations, and communities provide “online + offline” services, and retain physical consultation, on-site guidance, and manual services. Close the artificial window across the board.

　　He Xuebin, a representative of the National People's Congress, suggested that a policy be introduced in the field of medical services, requiring all medical service establishments to retain manual services and cash payment functions.

　　"Units and departments that provide public services should study the needs of the elderly, especially to reserve enough personnel to provide high-quality services in the'old ways' that the elderly are used to." Ding Zuohong gave examples, such as hospitals, banks, and railways. For units such as public transportation and public transportation, it is best to accurately divide the service targets, reserve certain resources for the elderly, and do not handle everything online.

　　Wang Xiaochuan, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and CEO of Sogou, also proposed that the government should ensure safety through monitoring the bottom line, and resolutely crack down on cyber crimes such as telecom fraud and infringement of personal information against the elderly.

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