Are you the tech helper in your family? In your office?
Community IT intern Jack Woodard on lessons learned over years of helping less-tech-savvy people learn the technology they need to do what they need and want to do.
Takeaways on How to Be a Tech Helper
Be patient
- People who are having trouble with tech get very frustrated, and they also get very down on themselves for not being able to understand it. They aren’t setting out to be annoying or hard to deal with, but they can get very defensive or just have a lot of trouble following what you are asking them to do, especially if they have difficulty seeing or hearing.
- People having trouble with tech have a lot of anxiety around doing the wrong thing – especially with all the scams out there. But they also want to be participating – they don’t want to miss out. So taking all that into account when you interact with any staff member or family member is good practice to help meet them where they are.
Be a teacher, not a doer
- If the less-tech-savvy person in your life is struggling to use tech, doing it for them will reinforce that they are not capable. Instead, do a lot of listening. Identify the real problem (it may not be what they think is the issue.) Then walk the person through how to do it by asking them to do it while you stand by ready to help.
- Describe what they need to click on. Don’t use a lot of jargon.
- Have the person take notes, especially if they don’t use this particular app or do this particular thing every day. The next time they need to do it, they can refer back to their written instructions.
- If they are upset by updates that change things, consider teaching them to use keyboard shortcuts where available, because these change less frequently.
- Help them get organized and put the apps and tools they use most frequently where they can find them quickly at a glance. Organizing is deeply personal – so don’t impose your way of doing things on them. As a tech helper, follow their lead!
- Walk through each step with them. Most people will continue to do something “the way they learned how” indefinitely. Use that to your advantage if you want them to do it a new way. Make sure they have learned the steps and they will probably be able to repeat them time after time.
- Don’t forget accessibility features. Many people who struggle with tech may be hard of hearing or have difficulty seeing. Modern tech has lots of features to help, like strong contrast, screen readers, and hearing aids that can be connected to other devices directly.
- Microsoft Accessibility Knowledgebase
- Google Workspace Accessibility for Users (can also find the Accessibility Guide for Administrators)
- Mac Guide to Accessibility
Community IT seeks to provide trusted advice and guidelines for nonprofit tech helpers around the holidays and throughout the year. If you have questions on staying safe with technology, especially in the age of AI, it is better to ask someone than struggle alone.
_______________________________
Start a conversation :)
Thanks for listening.
