Girls' night out
Are retired women being left behind in the digital age? Time for a girls’ night in!
Project team: Lina Melchior, Yacintha Theato and Vivien Volkenstein
2nd semester, 2025
Supervising lecturers: Andrea Krajewski, Torben Toepper and Dieter Stasch
Are you older and don’t know anything about digital issues? Not with us!
These days, digital inclusion is social inclusion. Anyone who is left behind digitally is automatically marginalised from society.
Did you know that older women are more than twice as likely to suffer from loneliness as men of the same age? This can lead to serious problems, both mental and physical. A major factor contributing to loneliness in old age today is access to digital media and digital skills. Anyone who doesn’t know how to use online banking or how to book a journey on the RMV-Go app is at a disadvantage in everyday life, loses a degree of independence and risks social isolation.
That’s why we want to tackle this: with the help of ‘Girls’ Night Out’
Retired women can sign up for monthly dates via our website. They can also ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ suggested topics from a deck of cards, thereby helping to decide the next topic. Would you like to learn about spotting online scams? Like! Do you already know how to book a doctor’s appointment online? Dislike.
Students at the university organise workshops and talks on campus, which participants can attend if they are interested in the topic in question. The topic in question is explored on the spot via a live screen broadcast together with the participants, and any unanswered questions are clarified. Of course, time is always set aside to help participants with any personal technical issues they may have.
Afterwards, recordings of all past ‘girls’ nights’ are available to watch. Any questions or comments on a topic? Head over to the forum to chat with the other participants! Perhaps someone has already found the solution?
Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper girls’ night out if we didn’t offer some nice food & drink: participants are welcome to bring along some light snacks and drinks on a voluntary basis. That way, nothing stands in the way of a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
A boring seniors’ get-together? Not a chance.
