Taupō residents can build their digital confidence through a series of free digital workshops running every Thursday throughout May at Taupō Library.

The first session, Online Safety in the Digital World, takes place on Thursday 7 May at 10am and focuses on online scams and simple ways to protect yourself online.

The workshops are a collaboration between Taupō Library, Age Concern Taupō and Central Plateau REAP, responding to growing demand for digital safety support in the community.

“We have Tech Assist every Friday for an hour in the library, and the majority of customers who come in for assistance are older,” says Taupō Library team lead operations Tu Biddle.

“While most of their queries are about how to do something on a phone or computer, we are seeing more devices having issues due to updates not being installed, malware from unsecure websites, and free app downloads.”

Age Concern Taupō team leader Nikki Halford says the need is coming directly from the community.

“We are hearing from older people that there’s demand for support in navigating our everincreasing digital world,” she says.

“There’s demand for oneonone support for sure, but also for more general information and the opportunity to ‘ask the expert’.”

Tu Biddle says an important takeaway from the workshops is reassurance.

“Yes, the pace of digital change is alarming,” he says, “but there are simple ways to protect yourself regardless of changes.”

Nikki Halford agrees, saying that “with some practice and knowledge of safety guidelines, older people can navigate the internet with peace of mind, to the degree they wish – allowing them to communicate with friends and family or make purchases online if they wish.”

The Online Safety in the Digital World workshop will be held at Taupō Library on Thursday 7 May at 10am, with further free digital workshops continuing every Thursday throughout May. People are welcome to attend one session or all of them, with no bookings required. More information is available by contacting Taupō Library 07 376 0070 or by email at taupolibrary@taupo.govt.nz.

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