How to make old people understand Bitcoin?

[Abiky]

I'm looking for the easiest way to make old people understand Bitcoin more thoroughly. I want to let the elderly know about the "Bitcoin revolution", yet I find it quite challenging to explain it to them in a way they can understand how it all works. There are some wallets that have a "user-friendly" interface, but even the basics of sending/receiving Bitcoin can have a steep learning curve for the older people. A Bitcoin wallet with built-in accessibility features, could help even elder people with vision or hearing problems to use the pioneer cryptocurrency in their daily lives.

If you happen to know of a way to make old people understand Bitcoin easily, please let me know. Any suggestions or recommendations will be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[AjithBtc]

In the early days palm scripts and writings on metals were used as a source to secure data in my country. These scripts can't be read by everyone, and these data will be piled up as a booklet. We can explain the present days blockchain technology relating to the old way of data saving. Surely old people will be aware of these scripts and for the reference I've added few images of the palm scripts and writings on metals.

[Eugenar]

I guess that won't be so easy especially if they are not inclined with technogy. Language, choice of words, and terminologies, can also be a barrier like for an instance, they won't understand what blockchain is, in an instant unlike with simpler ones such as receiving and sending.

The best way I think is using examples forming relationships between the terms or linkage of what he knows or how he would get what you are pointing best and how you would deliver the message. An old person could understand easily to send and receive across wallets or addresses by simply telling them that it is like an actual wallet but is not having a physical form. Addresses may represent the color of a wallet or its brand or something which would give "identity" to that wallet. Since they will be tauvht about bitcoin in a manner ehich is cor daily purposes, complex terms I think is no longer needed which will lessen the difficulty.

[Darker45]

Sending and receiving Bitcoin through QR code may be the best way for them as they don't have to manually input and check addresses which are oftentimes in small fonts.

The fundamentals of Bitcoin should be enough for them. Security in general, dos and donts, and some tips on how not to get hacked or phished or scammed are also very important for them to understand.

Also, their wallets should only contain amounts that they could spend on a daily or weekly basis. I guess regular refills could be done by their children or grandchildren who are more knowledgeable about Bitcoin.

[Wexnident]

It's a matter of two things, making Bitcoin characteristic description as simple as possible, and old people having the ability to intake more information. Some old people have this never-ending tenacity when it comes to refusal about learning new things after all, so if they fail at that part, I'd suggest giving up already since you can't really persuade them that way. If they were willing to know or to learn though, you could probably just describe Bitcoin in the simplest of terms as possible. Possibly make a comparison that they would understand.

Possibly make some easy to understand illustrations? Like Point A sends money, then show an illustration of miners so you can describe how blockchain works. Drawings would be a great medium imo, and just try not to use overcomplicated words, those make stuff a lot harder. You don't even need to use the term Block, blockhain, and other stuff like that.

[pooya87]

they don't need to understand bitcoin to use it. in fact that goes for a lot of things. for example how many people (not just elderly) understand how credit cards work? but they use them all the same. all anybody needs to know is that bitcoin is a new form of money that is highly secure and still has a volatile value. anything more than that is optional and is needed for anybody who is interested in the technology or wants to look under the hood.

[hd49728]

The interests and plans to buy bitcoin increased but less in the group of elderly. The ownership rates show the same thing. The barrier for the elderly they don't want to experience new things even online bank transfer or ewallets. Do you know the story of Warren Buffet who still want to use paper money as much as he can?

The results highlight that Bitcoin is a demographic mega-trend led by younger age groups.

https://medium.com/blockchain-capital-blog/bitcoin-is-a-demographic-mega-trend-data-analysis-160d2f7731e5

[naomi-the-cat]

Im not sure that they really need/want to understand bitcoin. If they dont want to use bitcoin then just accept this

[davis196]

I'm looking for the easiest way to make old people understand Bitcoin more thoroughly. I want to let the elderly know about the "Bitcoin revolution", yet I find it quite challenging to explain it to them in a way they can understand how it all works. There are some wallets that have a "user-friendly" interface, but even the basics of sending/receiving Bitcoin can have a steep learning curve for the older people. A Bitcoin wallet with built-in accessibility features, could help even elder people with vision or hearing problems to use the pioneer cryptocurrency in their daily lives.

If you happen to know of a way to make old people understand Bitcoin easily, please let me know. Any suggestions or recommendations will be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

We should focus on promoting Bitcoin across the young people.They are the future.
In order to explain Bitcoin,you have to explain the blockchain technology first.
The most oversimplified explanation is that the blockchain is a network of computers,in which every computer verifies and confirms every transaction that happens on that network.If older people can't understand this,I bet that they will never understand Bitcoin.
Just because old people aren't tech savvy,that doesn't mean that they are stupid.However,most of them are traditionalist and conservative,so they will stick until the end with the good old paper money.

[famososMuertos]

Hi,
OP:
It is simple do not teach her! (1)

I can tell you that in my environment, all the adult people I know do not like to call them "oldest old," but they handle social networks better than I do.

How did they arrive! Out of curiosity, my grandmother who is 75 years old currently started using the popular messaging system in 2011-2012 I remember it well because I was the one who downloaded the apps. That is to say, she was 68 years old, she was already quite old, but within the limits of calling her an old man, for my old man she is older than 75 years.
 
At first she was ignorant of it, but what interested her were the groups in the Apps, that was all. But she'd been ignoring her, she wasn't interested.

With the bitcoin issue, I take advantage of the fact that he likes whatsapp and I send him news, memes and fun things related to bitcoin. There is good documentation about bitcoin without going into technical details.

Anyway, do not try to teach an old man something that he does not ask, the "old man" who wants to learn or does it alone, or asks for it, friend, they are older people who have lived, they are the experience of life. But, that if! creating curiosity is the best way.

(1) Please, this is a charismatic comment, which seeks the interpretation of my post.

Finally,  each older person is different, I think it is in each one to understand these wonderful people.

[Astvile]

Not all elderly people are having hard time understanding and accepting crytocurrency nowsdays. Teaching them would be easy if you let them experience and talk to someone about the same age as them who has knowledge about how cryptocurrency in general works. But the problem is not all elderly people are open for this kind of stuff because they are used to be in the traditional business and fiat investments.

[molsewid]

It's a bad idea teaching old people to use bitcoin. Mostly old people in my country don't know how to use cellphone or computer. But if they knew, what will be in their mind if you introduce bitcoin to them? In news, bitcoin always mention because in our country many investment scam use bitcoin as their mode of payment. Old people always watch news, and if I'll introduce it to them they'll avoid it and think that it is a scam.

[DoubleEdgeEX]

I think you need to talk in their language and make references to things they know, but that also makes it difficult to come up with something so generic that you could apply that explanation to old people all around the planet. Up to this point, I think the Guardian did a good job with that video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4g1XFU8Gto

[adzino]

I'm looking for the easiest way to make old people understand Bitcoin more thoroughly. I want to let the elderly know about the "Bitcoin revolution", yet I find it quite challenging to explain it to them in a way they can understand how it all works. There are some wallets that have a "user-friendly" interface, but even the basics of sending/receiving Bitcoin can have a steep learning curve for the older people. A Bitcoin wallet with built-in accessibility features, could help even elder people with vision or hearing problems to use the pioneer cryptocurrency in their daily lives.

If you happen to know of a way to make old people understand Bitcoin easily, please let me know. Any suggestions or recommendations will be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

They don't need to know about the "bitcoin revolution", the technology behind it or any technological knowledge. Those knowledge would be absurd for them.
Instead you can just teach them how to send, receive and keep your wallets secure. I don't think any wallet have any kind of accessibility features. But if accessibility is still an issue, as far as I am aware, all operating system comes with accessibility feature which can be used with your browser or any application on your computer.

[J.Amador]

Teach them or make them to understand what bitcoin is or maybe you should guide them so they can learn or better understand what they should do or shouldn't do in bitcoin and lastly don't forget to tell them to beware from scammer cuz now days there's a lot of scammer of bitcoin

[Genemind]

It would be difficult to teach the specifics of bitcoin or cryptocurrency to the elderly since most of them are not well versed in technology. They just need to learn the concept, how it works, how to secure, spend, and transact. People easily adjust to things that are massively used, the same as how we learned how to use the internet. Not all of us are into tech, but as it becomes a part of our daily lives it will be easily absorbed and adopted.

[The cure]

It would be hard to teach our elderly about bitcoin or cryptocurrency because most of them are hard to understand everything about new technology, they only believe what they used to do. And aside from that there's a lot of scammers out there and looking for their target person, sadly what if they take advantage the weaknesses of the elderly? However, we can still teach them the basics in a very nice and calmly way.

[Janation]

It's a bad idea teaching old people to use bitcoin. Mostly old people in my country don't know how to use cellphone or computer. But if they knew, what will be in their mind if you introduce bitcoin to them? In news, bitcoin always mention because in our country many investment scam use bitcoin as their mode of payment. Old people always watch news, and if I'll introduce it to them they'll avoid it and think that it is a scam.

I think it is not a bad idea.

It is just that most of these old people are a fan of the government, telling them that something like a Bitcoin that is centralized and not controlled by the government could raise suspicions to them telling you their theories and even ludicrous claims against Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. I kind of experienced it so I immediately stopped. Some might find them interesting but most of them would just don't care and may find it suspicious.

[20kevin20]

I just don't. I found out that most of the times I try to explain how Bitcoin works, it ends up being a waste of time. What I'd rather do is just go on and tell them as simply as I can the advantages of BTC, like: it's decentralized so nobody has control over it, you make your own privacy, supply is limited and it cannot be faked/double-spent.

If someone's then interested to read more, they'll do the research themselves. Otherwise, talking about how amazing it is usually ends with them wanting to purchase BTC just for its possible value increase.

[LogitechMouse]

I don't see any strategies that will work in teaching the old about Bitcoin.

We know already that the old people doesn't have the capability to memorize things because of their age, their are tend to forget easier compare to those people who are around the 30's or 40's. It is hard for them to teach Bitcoin especially for those old people who are not techy or not even exposed to the technology since on their prime, things like this doesn't exist at all. There are some old people too that will just ignore it since they are old already. They don't have any time or at least interest to learn it.

In my place, I'm the only one who knows the basic things of crypto and I'm not teaching it to any of them. Its not that I don't like but I don't feel that they are interested on it too.