Retire VA 24 - 22

A Vital Lesson
WRITTEN BY DAN SMITH
Older citizens have taken to the computer
and found it enriches their lives.
Students " have to battle
technology and they are
the soldiers. You can
protect yourself if you
know how. "
-Ashley Pannell
A
shley Pannell's professional
specialty is a
doozie. She teaches Baby
Boomers how to navigate
... on a computer.
Her business, Computer Basics in
Roanoke, was launched just as our world
experienced the first breath of COVID-19 in
2020. Before that, she had been a mental
health professional. That training proved
useful in working with a group of people
22 Retire-VA.com / RETIRE-VA 2025
who were most often intimidated-when
not simply terrified-by computers.
Most of her students are Social Security
eligible, but one is 45. Pannell, who grew
up in Roanoke, is 32, young enough to
know computers, old enough to have the
respect of her elders. From the opening
bell she teaches students to " be open
to something new; no negative self-talk;
know you have permission. "
There is, she says, " no reason to teach
until they feel safe and I assure them that
they will learn to protect themselves "
from computer scams, among other constant
threats.
Most seniors she's dealt with, she says,
" push off learning the computer until they
need it. " The pandemic provided that
push, she says.
They learn " which questions to ask,
which buttons to push, which to stay away
from " and " repetition builds confidence "
DAN SMITH
http://www.Retire-VA.com
Retire VA 24

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