Photo: (DoSomething.org)
Earlier this month members of the "Awkward." cast visited a senior center to take part in DoSomething.org and Intel's Grandparents Gone Wired campaign. Only about half of senior citizens use the Internet, and this can keep them from free communication with family members, countless resources, and us. Ahh! Not good. Or maybe they posted a message to your wall and meant for it to be a private message... Awkward.
Technology is constantly evolving, and while you're on Facebook, or chatting via Skype, or even emailing, your grandparents might not be able to reach you. The idea behind the campaign is for teens to teach their grandparents and other seniors more about technology so it can keep family closer. If seniors are able to use the Internet, they can also use it for their own entertainment and fact-finding.
That's why Jillian Rose Reed, Brett Davern, Nikki Deloach, Desi Lydic, Mike Faiola, Kelly Sry and Wesam Keesh of "Awkward." took part in Grandparents Gone Wired. They showed Verna, one of the residents at the senior center they visited, how to make a Facebook page. Her first post? "I'm Alive!"
If you want to use your tech talents for good, text "WIRED" to 38383 or visit the website. There are even prizes you can get by taking part, including a chance at winning a $5,000 scholarship! You can also send in pics of your tech lessons with your grandparents, and the first 500 people who take part get free movie tix! There's even a "worst tech setup" contest, where you send in pics of the worst computer setups you see still being used (like, um, floppy disk drives) -- this contest ends January 11, and you can win ultrabooks and tablets. Who's ready to get Grandma and Grandpa wired?
