{"id":197,"date":"2025-06-11T20:23:41","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T20:23:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/tech-and-lifepal\/?page_id=197"},"modified":"2025-06-11T20:37:40","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T20:37:40","slug":"what-our-younger-participants-are-saying","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/tech-and-lifepal\/what-our-younger-participants-are-saying\/","title":{"rendered":"What Our Younger Participants Are Saying"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After completing the Tech-and-Life Pal<\/em> program, students reported a significant reduction in feelings of loneliness. None of the participants said they felt lonely often anymore, and many felt more connected, confident, and valued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students described how forming friendships with older adults helped them feel more integrated into the wider community<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cThe program made me feel connected with older generations. I gained an in-depth understanding of society and felt more confident making new friends.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cWe shared everything without worry. My partner\u2019s life experience really shaped my view of older people\u2014I\u2019m now more open to befriending them.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The exchange of practical life knowledge boosted students’ confidence and ability in independent living<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cThe program helped me understand topics like council tax, energy efficiency, and even where to get vaccinated.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n

<\/strong>\u201cIt made me feel more at home in the UK. I even learned small cultural things like local food traditions and coffee times.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Helping their older partners with technology gave students a stronger sense of self-worth<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cI felt like I contributed to society. It reminded me I\u2019m more than just someone glued to social media.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cI built a friendship, improved my communication skills, and felt proud of helping in my second language.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Students also became more comfortable asking for help and more willing to engage with wellbeing services. Many said they would recommend the program to their peers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After completing the Tech-and-Life Pal program, students reported a significant reduction in feelings of loneliness. None of the participants said they felt lonely often anymore, and many felt more connected, confident, and valued. Students described how forming friendships with older adults helped them feel more integrated into the wider community: \u201cThe program made me feel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2627,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Our Younger Participants Are Saying - Tech-and-Life Pal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/tech-and-lifepal\/what-our-younger-participants-are-saying\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Our Younger Participants Are Saying - Tech-and-Life Pal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"After completing the Tech-and-Life Pal program, students reported a significant reduction in feelings of loneliness. 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