A volunteer helps an elderly resident learn how to use her smartphone at the elderly service center in Gulou district, Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province.
China had 161 million internet users aged 60 and above as of June 2025. Across the country, young people are teaching their parents and grandparents how to navigate the digital world.
This process often requires patience and repetition. More importantly, it creates moments of understanding, empathy and reconciliation between generations.
On a recent Friday morning, a smartphone photography class got underway at a community activity center in Tiantan subdistrict, Beijing. The teacher was a university student, while the pupils were retirees.
The class is part of "See Young," a youth volunteer initiative dedicated to digital support for the elderly. Over the past 15 years, the group has conducted 15,000 free training sessions, reaching millions of elderly people.
