Why technology is your friend?

The world is increasingly becoming more and more reliant on digital, which has accelerated since the pandemic. By keeping in touch with the latest technology, not only will it help you in the future keep your independence it may also be crucial in terms of future job prospects, accessing healthcare, communicating with family and friends and saving you money. For example households offline are missing out on savings of £560 per year from shopping and paying bills online.

The majority of people within the UK are online, although there is still a significant proportion of people who are not; 18%of over-64s do not have access, but so too are those in lower socio-economic households (11%). Reference Ofcom 2021

The importance of technology in our lives:

1. ‍Saving money
   Households offline are missing out on savings of £560 per year from shopping and paying bills online. Most travel companies offer discounts for using their app and many retail stores offer you cash back if you go through a cash back site like Topcashback or Quidco. Vouchers and refer a friend discounts can also easily be found online. There is also the avoidance of scams which are becoming more and more prevalent, with increasing knowledge you will have a better chance of avoiding these. ‍
2. Communication
   From Whats app to Zoom, messaging and video apps are the way most of us kept in touch over the pandemic and as keeping connections with others is critical to good mental health. ‍
3. Access to vital services  
   Doctors, dentists and government services are nearly all exclusively online, there seems to be few systems that are the same and therefore without access to these services your health can diminish. ‍
4. Preventing illness
   Most of us do not know what the future will hold, but we have access to many diagnostic health tools; blood pressure monitors, heart rate monitors (on our mobile or phone app), Fat and muscle ratio monitors. Then there are aids once we have become ill; alerts to carers, motorised wheel chairs.
5. ‍Recuperation
   There are many aids, that rely on technology which can help and accelerate recovery once you've been ill. They range from alerts to carers, motorised wheel chairs, digital apps to monitor and help with recuperation and things like 'Alexa' which can be programmed to turn on lights.