Ways to keep up with technology

Even those that are confident with technology need to consistently keep up with their skills especially if you want to move careers or are thinking of retiring where day to day digital use will be reduced. 

Use it or lose it: if you do not keep engaged in new technology it will become harder to pick up as you get older.

1. Try to use newer devices (where financially possible)
   These will not give you the latest innovations, they will work better with other digital devices and websites. 
2. Set up digital devices yourself
   The tendency for many of us whether young or old is to rely on those in the family, who find it easier, to set up new decives. However if you always rely on others this will become harder as the technology moves on. Also leaving responsibility to others can make it harder when they are not there, for example when you kids leave home or your partner dies before you.
3. Try a new app or podcast or website on your phone or tablet every month
   There are now apps and podcasts for every possible hobby, interest and passion. Find out about new ones by asking your friends, children or nieces and nephews or on our blog. Hopefully some you’ll use regularly, but if you do not find it useful it will give you an awareness of the product and what are the latest thing.
4. Use the technological over the analog (offline) route 
   It can be tempting to keep using what we know, but if we do not adapt to technological advances we can be left behind and soon will not longer be able to do this face to face or offline any more. i.e booking your doctors appointment online or the automated checkout, even if it is not your preferred method.
5. Try and problem solve to get something working.
   Search Google or Quora for an answer, watch a youtube video, ask a friend, but try not to rely on someone else to solve the problem for you.
6. Do a technology course
   Whether you are a complete beginner and don't know where to start or If you want to have an advanced understanding there are many free online courses or community courses. They range from the simple getting online courses to much more complex ones that explain the more complex areas like Artificial intelligence, data modelling, robotics etc
7. Sign up to newsletters or subscribe to technology based magazines.
   There is so much information out there available for free so money should not be a barrier for learning. If you can not afford the internet, libraries can give you access to both computers and the internet.