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The wife and I try to stay on top of tech. We are both in our 60's.
Here's what should scare the people that what to hold on to old tech. Not knowing how to use new tech stuff is very similar to living in the US and not speaking English. There's a whole other language/world out there you non tech people don't know it.
Being literate in computers is a major life improvement when it comes to shopping, paying bills, research, entertainment and much more. My first computer was $4500 dollars back in the 80's but the one I'm using now was $220 from Walmart. Computers have gotten so cheap that we now have 6 laptops all for different purposes.
Smart phones, we just went from flip phones to smart phones just a year or so ago. I would not go back to a dumb phone. The dumb phones can only test and make voice calls. Our smart phones can do voice, text, voice to text, internet which allows E-mail, video, video recording (over an hour) audio recording, camera, games, etc. And the big surprise to us was that the smart phones were only $10 a month more the flip phones.
IMO tech is here to stay and if a person doesn't learn it the world passes you by.
As with most everything, technology use is on a spectrum. I think the risk in avoiding technology is that you avoid learning how to use it and function with others who use it. Sixty is pretty young to put yourself in that position. Additionally, if you at some point find yourself needing or wanting to use it, you may find a pretty steep learning curve.
My attitude is to use modern tech only insofar as I really need it as opposed to buying it because its new and trendy -- like my millennial kids, who always seem to have a new smart phone.
So, I own a laptop, because computers and the internet are useful for many things, but I don't own an IPad or smartphone because I don't need to carry the internet around with me wherever I go. Plus, dumb cellphones fit in my pocket better.
I have a Facebook page that I don't use and which has nothing on it except my name, just so that people may contact me by email if they want to and I can occasionally visit my kids' cyber universe.
I have no use for a smart TV, nor do I need Alexa eavesdropping on everything I do at home.
I have a 65 yr old dentist friend who has no cell phone at all and a computer only in his office for business. He gets along just fine, and says that he doesn't need to clutter up his life more than it already is. I tend to agree. As I get older I look to spend more time outside and making personal contact with people. There may come a day when I have no choice but to sit home and interact with people mostly online, but I'd rather wait as long as I can before I do so.
Last edited by CapnTrips; 02-15-2017 at 09:37 AM..
No. My MIL at 87 was using a computer and smart phone. She did not become a smart phone zombie, nor has my wife (64) or me. Being addicted and disconnected from the real world is a problem with the people not the tech. But plenty of older folks do fine without smart anything or a computer. My father is 77 and has a basic phone and no computer, as does my step sons 88 yo grandmother. But both of them are immigrants with very basic education and abilities. Plus my fathers fingers are so large and arthritic, there isn't a smart phone or computer keyboard made that he could use if he wanted to. He can't use a mouse.
By my calculation, that means you "stopped" any new technologies in your early 40's - which seems decidedly young. Especially given that a lot of the new technology are merely extensions of pc's that I guess you had then and still use? So mostly a matter of convenience about having greater access to the internet and apps on tablets and smartphones.
Do you also eschew gps and backup cameras or other safety type devices now available?
I'm in my early 50's and though I no longer get a new phone every year, I definitely do replace it...add new apps all the time, text more than talk, etc. I don't delude myself that at some point tech will get tougher to learn but I'm not ready to stop quite yet.
Technology IS changing at an ever faster pace that makes it difficult to keep up but also has more of a cost if you DON'T keep up.
We use Weather Underground on our smart phones - it allows us to monitor the weather at our house (we have a weather station that is a part of the WU network). If the weather starts to turn ugly when we are away from home, we know that we should head for home before the roads become undriveable.
There are so many good uses for modern technology. True, previous generations didn't have this stuff, but previous generations also used outhouses, and we generally have indoor plumbing!
Kindle ereader (absolutely invaluable for those of us with aging eyes), desktop PC, laptop, 2 tablets, smart phone, Amazon Echo. I use my smart phone for music via bluetooth in the car all the time. Netflix, Amazon Fire stick for the TV.
Recent purchases: Sous Vide wand, bluetooth-enabled electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot).
My biggest concern over new tech is that the IOT devices are not particularly secure - I did set my home network up with two accounts, one for the IOT devices which are not connected to my computers in any way. I briefly had several lights set up for voice control but it was quite buggy - maybe in a couple years I can have a wired house, but for now it is not worth the troubleshooting time.
I go to a 100 people Tue. morning seniors group at my big church. Many of the older ones have no computer or smart phone and could easily afford one, just no interest at all. They get along just fine. Some have computers or phones but barely know how to use them.
I am not good with tech but try to learn, I am good enough that my computer is my entertainment. I have the TV on but often it's just background and often I get so engrossed I completly loose track of whats going on on TV.
A perfect example is right now I am researching slot cars. I just love it, take copious notes. Before computers this was all but impossible. There are no magazines and only a couple of obsolete books on slot cars but copious info. on computers.
Last edited by V8 Vega; 02-15-2017 at 09:58 AM..
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