Teens Leading Change: Helping Seniors Break the Digital Divide

Hi, I’m Gavin Koo, a junior living in Woodland Hills and attending North Hollywood High School. Although my school is far away, I still enjoy finding ways to engage with my local community, such as volunteering with TLC here at the Platt Branch of the LAPL. Although this year's topic, focusing on teaching seniors various tech literacy skills, has had a predominantly digital theme, it was the real, in-person experiences that were so fun and meaningful for me.

As technology continues to advance at an exponential rate, especially with the recent boom in AI, our seniors are being left further and further behind. Despite this, digital skills are only becoming more and more necessary for individuals to remain independent, socially connected, and efficient. Recognizing this gap, our team of teen volunteers decided to dedicate this year’s project to helping bridge the digital divide in our community.

We started by hosting events in partnership with organizations such as Bridge the Digital Divide and Mom’s Computer, where we introduced seniors to essential phone skills, raised awareness of digital scams, and taught about the various uses of AI. In addition, we organized several “Device Drop-In” sessions, where seniors could come in with any tech-related questions and receive one-on-one help from volunteers.

It was in these drop-in sessions that the project became especially meaningful to me. Unlike structured workshops, these interactions were much more personal. Seniors came in with a wide range of questions, from troubleshooting email issues to understanding app notifications or setting up voicemail for the first time. While these tasks often seemed small, helping someone solve even a minor issue could visibly reduce their stress and increase their confidence. Seeing that sense of relief and gratitude was incredibly rewarding.

Through these experiences, I became more aware of how inaccessible modern technology can sometimes be, particularly when so much of it is designed with younger, more tech-fluent users in mind. However, this project also taught me that the digital divide is, by all means, a problem that can be solved through consistent communication, patience, and empathy.

More importantly, volunteering for Wisdom Wired taught me an unexpected lesson about community service itself. Before joining TLC, I often viewed making a positive impact as requiring large-scale efforts or major accomplishments. But this experience showed me otherwise. Helping others and contributing to the community is not nearly as difficult as it may seem. Sometimes, making a difference can be as simple as sitting down with someone, answering a question, and helping them feel a little more capable and connected.

—Gavin Koo