Marija Petrović | 13 Sep 2026

Conversations about technology often place younger people in the role of teacher and older people in the role of learner. That arrangement can be useful, but it captures only part of what different generations can offer one another.

Confidence with a device and the ability to assess a persuasive request are different skills. Someone may navigate an application quickly while overlooking emotional pressure. Another person may need help finding a setting but immediately recognise when a story sounds implausible.

Digital safety offers an opportunity to bring these strengths together.

Starting with a shared situation

An unexpected message provides a practical starting point for a conversation. Who appears to have sent it? What does it ask the recipient to do? Why might someone find it convincing? How could the request be checked?

These questions invite joint reasoning. They allow technical knowledge, personal experience and different perspectives to contribute to the same discussion.

Within ODYSSEY, this principle is reflected in the emphasis on trusted contacts and supportive learning. “Stop, Think and Call someone” recognises that a second perspective can be valuable when a request creates uncertainty or pressure.

Respect makes learning possible

Intergenerational learning works best when neither person feels dismissed. Jokes about someone’s age, impatience with repeated questions or assumptions about technical competence can discourage future conversations.

A respectful exchange gives both people room to explain what they notice and what they find difficult. It also makes it easier to ask for assistance before a decision becomes urgent.

For ICRP, this is a meaningful connection between digital education and a wider culture of dialogue. Learning across generations can strengthen relationships while addressing a practical concern shared by people of different ages.

The result is an opportunity for mutual support: people discovering that they each have something useful to contribute.

The blog entry is part of the “ODYSSEY – Your Financial Security” project, financed by the European Commission.