Zoomers and Boomers Project

By Estela DePaz

With the ongoing stay-at-home order across the state, various video-conferencing technologies are rapidly becoming standard for business conferences and family communication.  Over the Summer, the Hercules Rotary Club started a project to help community members use Zoom, a very popular net conferencing software.  This project was initially called “How to Zoom - Zoomers Showing Boomers.”

A “Boomer” is generally defined as someone born before 1964, and those who Zoom tend to be Generation Z who have come “of age” in the new millennium.  The Hercules Rotary Club identified this community technological gap.  Many in the Boomer generation appeared unable to use Zoom to communicate and connect with their friends and loved ones, whereas younger Zoomers have had minimal issues adapting to the new technology.

The Zoomer and Boomer Project is designed to help Boomers by partnering them with Zoom “coaches” who can help them navigate Zoom.  The project team plans to develop training and reference materials in order to pair Zoomers and Boomers to 1) ensure a level of compatibility, and 2) manage and monitor the progress of each Zoom coaching session by providing time for evaluation and feedback.