Senior Citizens Online Days Lithuania

Since 2018, Lithuania has organised a national Senior Citizens Online Days initiative to attract and encourage Lithuanian senior citizens to use smart technologies and e-services, critically assess information online and improve their digital skills.

Senior Citizens Online Days is an initiative promoted by the association Langas į ateitį that was originally organised in 2019-2020 in the framework of the Connected Lithuania project. The initiative has since continued to be held annually, with editions taking place in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, expanding its reach and adapting its topics to reflect the evolving digital landscape.

Each year, experts from various disciplines and well-known public figures shared knowledge and experience on the benefits of using internet and technology in a variety of seminars and activities. Municipal public libraries played also a crucial role to invite senior citizens to join and participate in this initiative. Even during the pandemic, where possible, participants were invited to follow the broadcasts in the nearest library, while others were able to self-connect at home with their personal smart devices. After the broadcasts, participants were able to translate their knowledge into a variety of tasks in practice.

In 2020, 383 libraries participated with about 4336 participants, while 7485 more followed the events online with their personal devices.

Both in 2019 and 2020, several online events were organised, on a variety of topics. During the Senior Citizens Online Days 2020, activities and resources focused on eHealth (how to use your smart device to maintain your well-being), eLeisure, eService (how better use eBanking services or other online public services), security on the internet and even some tips for eGardening! As for the Senior Citizens Online Days 2019, the topic of the events ranged from how to better use ePrescription, to tips on how to use technology to better plan travels, how to use trustfully eBanking and payment apps, as well as the use of social media.

In addition to the broadcasts, seniors were provided with a variety of educational activities and methodological material, also available online as self-paced contents.

• Brain exercise - A practical exercise that helps to apply the information learned during the webcast Technology vitamins.
• Self-guidance - A practical exercise that invites users to travel in Lithuania smartly and helps them to carry out travel planning online, as a result of the broadcast Guide yourself.
• Situation test - A practical exercise that helps participants to train for concentration and reflection in specific situations.
• Truth or lie - Another practical task to support in understanding social media, linked to the event on Communication fashion.
• Smart gardeners' battles - A practical exercise that helps participants to find information online about horticulture and cultivation, as presented in the online event SmartGarden.

In 2021, the events started to be organised by libraries and communities directly, without the centralised coordination, with a good example of sustainability.

Evolving topics: the 2023 edition

By its fifth edition in November 2023, the initiative had evolved significantly in terms of topics, reflecting the rapid changes in the digital landscape. Organised in the framework of the project "IT connects generations" (Informacinės technologijos jungia kartas), funded by the Lithuanian Ministry of Social Security and Labour and implemented by Vilnius Medardas Čobotas Third Age University in partnership with Langas į ateitį and Kaunas Third Age University, the 2023 edition introduced topics such as artificial intelligence and the practical use of tools like ChatGPT, digital signatures, fake news detection and fact-checking, and useful smartphone apps for daily life. This evolution reflects the initiative's commitment to remaining relevant and responsive to the needs of Lithuanian senior citizens in a rapidly changing digital environment.

Growing reach: the 2024 edition

The sixth edition of Senior Citizens Online Days took place in November 2024, organised within the framework of the project "Connected Lithuania: Digital Skills Development" (Prisijungusi Lietuva: skaitmeninių įgūdžių tobulinimas), funded by Lithuania's Recovery and Resilience Plan ("New Generation Lithuania") and implemented by the State Digital Solutions Agency together with Langas į ateitį and the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania.

The 2024 edition attracted over 10,000 participants, with more than 260 public libraries and their branches participating across the country. Topics covered included e-health, digital signatures, e-police services, and the e-Regitra vehicle registration platform. Through television, radio, social media and partner websites, the initiative reached over 650,000 Lithuanian citizens in total. The most popular broadcasts were "Registering with a doctor online: let's learn together" and "E-police: let's also seek help online".