Smart Nation Grandparents' Day 2022

Opening Remarks by SMS Tan Kiat How for Smart Nation Grandparents' Day 2022

28 Nov 2022

Welcome remarks

Good morning. Thank you for joining me at the Smart Nation's Grandparents' Day 2022. It’s great to see the turnout this morning.

This event has been put together with direct feedback from seniors and younger folks, to help our seniors benefit from technology, stay connected and enjoy their digital journey with their families.

'My Smart Grandparents' contest

Smart Nation also ran a social media contest calling for nominations for 'My Smart Grandparent'. Members of the public were invited to share stories of how their grandparents are ‘cool techies’.

We’re pleased to have received many nominations. There are grandparents who have a stronger social media game than some of us, and those who are savvy with all the useful apps, and never stop learning. Rachel told us about her cool Grandma who loves editing photos and sharing with her family. She’s so creative that she often cracks her family up with her funny edits. And Grandma is in her late 70s! And we have Gabriel who is in awe of his Grandpa who is totally up-to-date with good cybersecurity practices, so much so that he looks to Grandpa for cybersecurity tips! And of course there are the grandparents who totally beat the grandchildren at Roblox and Zooba.

I hope our seniors here today can take inspiration from our winners, and also find out about the digital tools we have on display here today, to bond with their families, and to improve their daily lives.

Family support is critical in seniors' digital journey

With increasing use of smartphones and social media, it changes the way we maintain personal relationships.  It’s easy to lose touch with family members who haven’t kept up with the changes. So for some, the analog world can become an increasingly lonely place.

This is why we are building a digitally-inclusive society, and it starts from home. Family support is critical for seniors as they adapt to digitalisation in their daily lives. So let us all be a little more patient in helping our grandparents and seniors who are trying to navigate the digital space. Let us also find opportunities to use tech to bring families together, rather than create divides.

While some seniors have adapted to digital tools, others may still find the journey ahead daunting, especially with the rise of online scams. Families offer the first line of defence and support in creating a safe space for seniors to be curious, ask questions and learn. We must continue to empower seniors with skills and knowledge to use digital tools at hand so that they can lead a more convenient way of life.

Closing remarks

What we have planned for this event cannot be achieved without our partners here today. So let me extend our thanks to them, and our volunteers as well.

Please give a round of applause for our partners. Thank you for working with us to create a digitally-inclusive society for all.

I wish everyone a very pleasant day ahead.

Mr Tan Kiat How
Senior Minister of State,
Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of National Development