INTIMIDATED by digital technology? So was Marian Goldberg, 70, until she went to a Senior Planet Exploration Center in Manhattan, which teaches older adults how to become more comfortable being online.

Now, she has learned to use Pinterest, send messages on Facebook and embed emoji in her emails. Ms. Goldberg, who has a part-time beaded jewelry business, said she had mastered enough tools to reframe herself as a digital entrepreneur.

“Senior Planet gave me courage,” said Ms. Goldberg, a retired social worker.

Across the country, older adults who grew up in a predigital age are finding more help to navigate the wired world. Senior centers, retirement communities and advocacy groups like AARP are offering more free courses for older adults. And simpler devices and apps, which are better designed for aging hands and eyes, are trickling into the marketplace.

Many older people already use laptops and tablet computers, studies show, but use of newer mobile gadgets like smartphones is lagging among the 60 and older cohort. In part that is because mobile devices typically have smaller screens and complex menus that may be harder to navigate.