Article by Ceri Wheeldon
The way the world communicates is changing and unless we make some effort to keep up there is a danger that we could become increasingly isolated – and invisible. Embracing technology creates opportunities.
The way we communicate and work has changed
Social media channels such as Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn have transformed the way in which we connect with others and communicate and look at the way we now use smartphones in our daily lives. Looking for information and shopping online have become the norm.
I have been horrified when asked to speak at events that there are women who come up to me afterwards and say that they would never consider owning a computer, laptop ,tablet or mobile phone – almost as a badge of honour. My concern is that in a world where we are living and working for longer we really cannot afford to ignore the main ways we communicate and work. Tools such as skype could be a lifeline for the elderly living alone to communicate with family members who would be able to see that they really are OK as well as speak to them. But we need to take away the fear of technology experienced by some in order for them to appreciate the benefits.
Over the past few weeks, many of you might have noticed that I have a hosted some live discussions via Google Hangouts on Air . I was led to the Google Plus platform virtually kicking and screaming – but now I absolutely love it – because I can see the benefit it can bring to the way I live and work. I have been working on a project with a colleague who lives hundreds of miles away from me- we having been using the screensharing feature on our private google hangouts to plan and work on our project. Amazing – and it’s free!
Women over 50 leading a Virtual Revolution
The live discussions I have hosted using the Google Plus Hangouts on Air feature have proven to be popular – and in fact have been featured in the Huffington Post as proof that embracing new technology can give women over 50 another channel to be seen and heard. In fact the Huff Post article suggested that I was leading a virtual revolution to ensure that women over 50 are NOT invisible!
My fear is that if we don’t embrace technology we will become invisible – both in the workplace and in society. We don’t need to learn every platform in depth – there are far too many to do that – but we do need to make sure that invest time in learning more about those that are used both in our working lives and in our social lives. The world won’t stand still just because we don’t want to move away from our comfort zone.
Don’t be invisible – join the virtual revolution!
Ceri Wheeldon
Ceri is Founder and Editor of Fabafterfifty.co.uk She is a frequent speaker at events and in the media on topics related to women over 50 , including style and living agelessly. With 20+ years experience as a headhunter Ceri also now helps support those looking to extend their working lives.
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