<p>Bengaluru: HelpAge India marked World Elder Abuse Awareness Day by releasing a report exposing the widening digital divide among senior citizens.</p>.<p>Titled 'Understanding Inter-generational Dynamics & Perceptions on Ageing', it found 88% of intergenerational communication remains face-to-face. While 71% of elders use basic phones, only 41% own smartphones.</p>.<p>Just 13% access the internet or social media, and a mere 5% use online services like banking or health apps.</p>.Bengaluru: Alarming rise in verbal abuse complaints from city's senior citizens.<p>To address this, HelpAge India proposed youth-led programmes pairing tech-savvy youngsters with elders for digital literacy. It also urged corporates to hold intergenerational workshops, donate devices, and improve elder-friendly apps.</p>.<p>The event, held at the National College auditorium, Basavanagudi, featured a panel discussion on Bridging Generations, Building Futures.</p>.<p>Deputy Secretary C Balaram, M Prakashan, State Head (Karnataka), HelpAge India, and gerontologist Indira Jai Prakash attended the event.</p>.<p>Indira highlighted the elderly’s struggles with rapid digital changes and stressed the need for urgent literacy drives.</p>.<p>Balaram flagged rising cybercrimes against elders, claiming nearly 90% of victims are senior citizens.</p>.<p>His advice was blunt: "Always keep wealth in your name till your death — only then will the young look after you well."</p>
<p>Bengaluru: HelpAge India marked World Elder Abuse Awareness Day by releasing a report exposing the widening digital divide among senior citizens.</p>.<p>Titled 'Understanding Inter-generational Dynamics & Perceptions on Ageing', it found 88% of intergenerational communication remains face-to-face. While 71% of elders use basic phones, only 41% own smartphones.</p>.<p>Just 13% access the internet or social media, and a mere 5% use online services like banking or health apps.</p>.Bengaluru: Alarming rise in verbal abuse complaints from city's senior citizens.<p>To address this, HelpAge India proposed youth-led programmes pairing tech-savvy youngsters with elders for digital literacy. It also urged corporates to hold intergenerational workshops, donate devices, and improve elder-friendly apps.</p>.<p>The event, held at the National College auditorium, Basavanagudi, featured a panel discussion on Bridging Generations, Building Futures.</p>.<p>Deputy Secretary C Balaram, M Prakashan, State Head (Karnataka), HelpAge India, and gerontologist Indira Jai Prakash attended the event.</p>.<p>Indira highlighted the elderly’s struggles with rapid digital changes and stressed the need for urgent literacy drives.</p>.<p>Balaram flagged rising cybercrimes against elders, claiming nearly 90% of victims are senior citizens.</p>.<p>His advice was blunt: "Always keep wealth in your name till your death — only then will the young look after you well."</p>