Norma Cumming

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Norma Cumming

For Gold Coast resident Norma Cumming, being online means she can stay connected with her family with ease.

“I like the fact that I can get in touch with my family so often and so quickly, and can even see them and chat with them on FaceTime, which is just absolutely wonderful because it’s nice to see your children and your grandchildren growing up,” says Norma.

Alongside FaceTime, Norma also uses messaging and email to keep in contact with her family and friends across Australia and England, which she says gives her a sense of freedom and company.

“The fact that wherever I am, I’m not out of reach of anybody – for me this means peace of mind, especially with this coronavirus keeping people apart so much,” says Norma. “[Being online], you feel that your family is there all around you.”

While Norma now says that being online is an everyday part of life, there was a time when she had little knowledge or interest. But when she found herself needing to learn how to use a mobile phone, Norma went to Be Connected digital skills classes at Basic Tech for help.

It was here that Norma found reassurance and support through her Digital Mentor Claire Robinson to get online and do activities like video calling, searching for recipes, and buying and selling online.

“Claire gave us so much encouragement,” says Norma. “She assured us that no matter how old we were, we are still able to master this technology if we want to.”

“It can be harder for us to get a grip on it once we’re older, but once we do, it’s just wonderful.”

With her increased confidence and new digital skills, Norma is now encouraging others to get online and see how it can create possibilities for them.

“Technology is not going to change, it’s only going to go on and on, and get better and better. So if we don’t keep up with it, we lose out.

“It makes life easier and it makes it a lot of fun. It opens up a whole new world.”

Get in on the fun and see how getting online could change your life by attending a Get Online Week event this 18-24 October. Get Online Week is Good Things Foundation Australia’s digital inclusion campaign which sees hundreds of community organisations run COVID-safe in-person and online events to support Australians to get online.

Find a local Get Online Week 2021 event in your area or attend an online event anywhere across the country. Use our event map to find free and friendly support to learn digital skills or call the Good Things Foundation team on 1300 795 897.

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