Technology has, for better or worse, broken down barriers of communication in unpredictable ways, and established a whole new infrastructure of human interaction. We can reach across the globe and keep in touch with old friends, a rather mundane reality that tech-savvy millennials take for granted. But with the advent of social technology, the generation gap between young people and senior citizens grows even wider. Yet for people in retirement, who are increasingly losing relationships and connections to the erosions of time, engaging with younger people is crucial to their happiness and vitality.
Cyber-Seniors, the directorial debut of actress Saffron Cassaday, follows a program she initiated with her mother that enlists volunteer teenagers to assist the elderly in simple tasks like checking their email and setting up Facebook accounts. The program became such a hit with the seniors they worked with, they ran a YouTube video contest and helped the seniors create and star in their own viral video.