Capturing Older People’s Technology Stories – Barbara’s Story

Another in my series of interviews with older people on how they use new technologies. This is a piece of work commissioned by the Centre for Ageing Better. I’d like to thank Barbara’s daughter, Bridget Aherne, for arranging this interview.

Some of the things Barbara told me:

Barbara is still working; for an NHS GP;
She was sent on a computer course by her employer and gained an ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) Certificate;
Barbara has had a mobile phone since the 1990s when her daughters insisted she get one for her personal safety;
She teaches dancing and is now using music on her phone for this purpose rather than CDs;
Barbara communicates online with people in the USA, Canada, Australia, and Ireland;
She believes emails are much easier and cheaper than letters;
Barbara is part of the UK Irish community and keeps in touch online with many different groups;
She is contributing to a blog about the Irish experience of the First World War;
She is often frustrated by the computers she uses at work, they freeze often;
Barbara has frequently to help patients at the surgery where she works to use the self-checkin system;
She loves sharing family photos online using One Drive and Dropbox;
Barbara is concerned that her technophobic husband will lose out when Radio Eireann ceases broadcasting on Long Wave;
She loves internet banking as she can see exactly where her money is going, and she does online banking for some of the groups she is involved with;
Barbara does some of her shopping online;
She uses the internet to keep an eye on events in her husband’s home town in Ireland.