The trio have joined other seniors in going back to class, taking part in the SilverTech smartphone course hosted by Age Concern Otago.
"I had heard of some of the wonderful things you can do with technology now, but I was unfamiliar with it," Mrs Crosado said.
"We are of the generation that wasn’t brought up with this technology, but if we don’t learn to expand our basic skills, we will be left behind."
Mrs Lyons had worked with computers in the past, but found it difficult to figure out the ins and outs of her phone.
"You tend to try and do a little bit, and then you are afraid that things won’t work any more," she said.
"So, I wanted to overcome that — and I am doing much more with my phone."
Since embarking on the SilverTech smartphone course, Mrs Lyons had begun using her phone for online banking, booking flights and even viewing medical results via an app.
Ms McLachlan was spurred on by the experience of the Covid-19 lockdown to get stuck in and learn more about using her smartphone.
"The peacefulness of lockdown and the neighbourhood coming together was nice, but it would have been helpful to use my phone for things like online shopping," she said.
Grateful for the opportunity to improve their skills through the course, the three women now feel more confident to handle apps, download photos into albums and to access services such as music streaming giant Spotify.
They feel the time has come for the Government to step up and make more technology courses, like the SilverTech smartphone course, available and accessible for anybody.
"It’s a frustrating world, which is full of barriers for people who can’t access the internet — and that includes getting in touch with government departments," Mrs Crosado said.
