For many older Australians, especially those separated from family by distance, technology has quietly become one of the most powerful ways to feel close to the people they love.
The power of a simple video call
Every night, somewhere in Australia, a grandparent's face lights up when a call connects. It might be a grandchild on the other side of the country, family overseas, or a quick FaceTime on the way home from school. A bedtime story read through a screen, or a tiny voice proudly showing off a drawing, a toy, or even a sandwich they just made. The moment does not need to be big to matter.
Dr Jo Orlando, a technology expert and researcher who has spent time observing how families use technology in their homes, said despite the frustrations many people have with devices, video calls are her favourite part of the digital world. "We have lots of complaints about it, but this is a brilliant aspect of technology," she said.
Making video calls more natural
For grandparents who do not get to see their family as often as they would like, a video call can turn an ordinary evening into something special. But Dr Orlando said the most successful calls are not always the ones where everyone is expected to sit still and talk. "Sometimes it's kind of a bit awkward, everyone, the whole family like squished up, trying to see each other," she said. "You know, the kids are kind of just sitting there saying, I want to get out of here. But there's lots of ways of doing it a lot better. So apart from the organisation, I think one thing that we need to think about with these group video chats is it doesn't just have to be talking. It could be centred around things."
That might be grandma showing the family how she cooks a favourite dinner, a grandparent reading a bedtime story, or a child showing an aunty, uncle or grandparent how they make their favourite sandwich. Those small, everyday moments help children build real relationships with relatives they may not see often. Dr Orlando said even a short video chat can make a difference. "It doesn't have to go for an hour," she said. "It could be a video chat but maybe it just goes for five to ten minutes."
Building relationships through screens
That could be enough to make a grandparent feel part of the school run, the bedtime routine, the after-dinner chaos or the simple rhythm of family life. "One of the things about video chats is it's actually building a relationship. So that's really good for young children. So with them, you might have their toys there. You might be all singing nursery rhymes together. Bringing it into what you're doing as a family and getting everyone involved. That's the best way of approaching it," she said.
For Chris Grice, CEO of National Seniors Australia, the impact is enormous. For some families, physical visits may only happen once a week, once a month, or even less often. "In particular for regional and rural parts of the country, that tyranny of distance, you know, sometimes it's the device is the difference between spending time with a loved one or not," he said. "Even FIFO workers ... we have such a large number that are dotted around the country. And devices play a huge role in creating those connections and making sure that older Australians still feel loved and appreciated."
Tips for staying connected and safe online
Grice has a few tips to help families stay connected with older Australians and to stay safe online. "The most important thing is that ... the best possible affordable device that you can provide to them, all the better. The bigger the screen, the better. The bigger the buttons, the better," he said. "Most importantly, the message is also from being online, that 'stop, check, reject'. If they're not comfortable with something, just stop, take a breath, and then, you know, get some support in terms of before proceeding and clicking on something that maybe that they shouldn't."
