Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
‘The internet is everything.' What it’s like to parent when you don’t have basic computer skills

Up until last year, Sylmar resident Nancy Navarro didn’t know how to check her kids’ grades or schedule online appointments.
She had Wi-Fi at home so her 15 and 11-year-old kids could do their homework on their school-issued laptops, but she wasn’t online herself very often.
The 44-year-old says if she needed to do something, her two boys would walk her through the process.
"I was very behind on the use of computers,” she said.
Free digital training
But then she noticed that her kids’ school was offering free digital training classes through the local nonprofit EveryoneOn, which aims to connect as many underserved people as possible on the internet.
Navarro took the class and learned how to identify spam, use Google docs and other basic computer tasks. She was also given a free Chromebook from the organization, which will allow her to keep practicing at home.
“Honestly it helped me so much, and gave me confidence as a person and as a mom," she said. “I’m grateful for everything they taught us.”
Ana Manzia, 46, of Pacoima also took that class. She said she already had some basic computer knowledge but the experience gave her the opportunity to grow her skills.
She learned how to share her screen on a Zoom call and take screenshots on a computer, among other things.
“Basically, I wanted to become more independent,” Manzia said, adding that she hopes to take more advanced courses in the future.
Navarro and Manzia’s experiences are reflected in a new pilot study conducted by EveryOne CEO Norma Fernandez.

The research explores what’s motivating underserved Latina and Black women in L.A., along with women from Milwaukee and the Bay Area, to pursue digital skills training, and details some of the challenges they face along the way. It was published by the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society.
Fernandez says very little is known about the intimate experiences of women, and specially women of color, who don’t have access to the internet or personal devices.
“I really wanted to glean a more layered understanding of the digital divide from their perspective,” Fernandez said. “They’re the folks who are sitting at the center of the [the issue] and therefore experts on how to solve it,” she said.
Lack of digital skills leaves people feeling powerless
Fernandez interviewed 26 women who participated in her organization’s digital skills training and surveyed 100 others to understand why women are investing their limited free time in these courses.
She said that many participants told her they took the courses because they felt a sense of embarrassment at being dependent on their family members for help with technology. “The internet is everything,” she said.
Many of the participants are also parents and grandparents, who told Fernandez they weren’t able to email their kids’ teachers or help them with their online homework.
“Folks would share, ‘I feel powerless. My kids help me, but they don't teach me,’” she said.
How to overcome barriers
Some of the key barriers she identified are affordability and a lack of a personal computer at home.
Many of the study participants relied on their smartphones to connect to the internet. The ones that could afford Wi-Fi at home are paying an average of $60 per month.
Only 21% of respondents were enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program, a federal discount for low-income families. It cuts $30 off your monthly internet bill and $75 for households on qualifying Tribal lands. (The program will end unless Congress votes to fund it).
She also found that household responsibilities “tend to fall on the shoulders of women,” which limits their ability to participate in these types of programs.
Navarro said she was able to organize her time to attend classes twice a week for about two months. After completing the course, she says she now feels empowered to use computers on her own and doesn’t have to rely on her kids to help with things like checking their grades.
“We’re all capable of learning something new regardless of age or your economic situation,” she said.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?
-
Hexavalent chromium is the same carcinogen Erin Brockovich warned about in the 1990s, but researchers say more study is needed on the potential health effects of nanoparticles detected earlier this year. Experts will answer questions at a webinar this evening.
-
The budget gap has led to a tuition hike, along with spending cuts and fewer course offerings. At the same time, generative AI already has transformed higher ed — including post-grad job prospects.
-
The construction work is part of a $143.7 million plan to rehabilitate pavement between Van Nuys and Westwood along the Sepulveda Pass.