Gulbahar Singh Sidhu
Incharge of the Lifecare Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre at Tajpur
Title: Techno-savvy old age!...from a mental health perspective
Biography
Biography: Gulbahar Singh Sidhu
Abstract
Technology has come to occupy the space around our lives like never before in history. The effects that the advent of technology has had on our lives ranges from nothing less than revolutionary to the worrying spectre of addiction and misuse of the same technology.
Researches in the field of mental health have, of late, focussed on the aspect of msiuse and addiction to internet and the smartphone. What is most interesting is that when it comes to geriatric age group, the technology has different connotations.
We intend to discuss the role of technology in this age group in two parts: The technology available “Here and Now” and that which is “Knocking at Our Doorsteps” A few examples of technology available “Here and Now” include Video chatting with the friends and family over Skype, sharing photographs on social media websites such as Instagram, playing video games with friends keeping brain active in the process, organizing all the bills and bank accounts, watching TV shows and movies through website such as Netflix, the Speaking Exchange / Cloud Grannies, customized mobile phones, GPRS Technology and much more. Examples of Futuristic technologies include the Smart Carpet, Bladder Monitor, Facial Expression controlled Wheel Chair, the phenomenal “Paro” in Japan, Voice recognition softwares to name a few.
The vital question of the fear of adapting to new technology in old age would also be discussed