Active intergenerational and European Cyber citizenship
16/12/2008

E-Seniors Association's goal, since its creation, is the introduction of new technologies to the public suffering from e-exclusion, especially older and / or disabled.
Beyond the basic computer skills course, i.e. to know how to use a computer for typing a text, to communicate by mail or seeking information on the Web, our trainers tend to accompany their students to the practice of these useful tools, which means taking into account the needs and interests of the beneficiary.
If the student is in a situation of job hunting , priority would be to create a resume, to seek for training, visit the websites of the National Employment Agency and then … Monster, Manpower etc ..., eventually to create its one job opening an e-commerce site or any kind of organization or little company, etc… on the web
For a student who does not need to work, for instance a retired person, we will concentrate on occupations of free time, such as photo, video, and / or digital sound, the preparation of a trip, online purchases - just to give some example.
But, especially for this public of public recreational consumers, one might wonder if we do not have the duty, as an association dedicated to new technologies, to explain to them and offer them to become "active cyber citizens".
What's more exciting than of moving from the state of a passive consumer to that of an actor ...of his own life and of the community in which we live.
While being a worker, you are an economic actor of the society. Anyone who is not working but spending money is also an economic actor. But you will get much more satisfaction by giving one’s time in a spirit of solidarity instead of just spending money.
Let’s give some practical examples related to Internet:
- When I buy a "cultural", a book, a CD, a film on a website like Amazon: I can return to the site to leave a comment giving my opinion about the book, the CD, which will be useful for future visitors
- This is also true when I purchase some household, electronic or other, on a shopping site for the great public like Cdiscount
- I can give a "note" of appreciation to a seller on the auction site Ebay
- I can respond to surveys on the Internet to give my opinion
- I can comment an article about places to visit, accommodation, restaurants as much as I could previously enjoy reading comments from others, during my preparation for a trip
- I can give my opinion a forum, possibly related to political events
- I can participate, with a simple "click" in petition campaigns for specific purposes
- Finally, even if I am not able to create my website about topics that interest me and the ideas that I would spread, I can simply write on a blog (the easiest way of expression on the Web) just to let other people enjoy my historical, literary, cultural , scientific or practical knowledge or know-how
Examples are many and increasing day by day.
what we should keep in mind is that :
- in France we are lucky to be able to access most websites, which is not the case in countries like China
- We are quite free about expressing our opinions
- We must remain vigilant and "active" so that our rights and our freedom of Internet are not "violated"
- Contributions to the web can be anonymous and we can use the web as a intercultural, intergenerational and transcontinental way of communication without any "discrimination"
- we are be able to communicate in a free way with citizens from all other countries in Europe and in the world.