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I'm 64 and love technology but since I'm an introvert and don't get out much, I am not around folks who can teach me how new things work. So I struggle with anything new. My friend recently hooked up my computer to my TV since I don't have cable, etc and I subscribed to netflicks. WOW! along with that are channels in German, Russian, etc. I'm having a field day. However, when it fails, I find it tedious and a pain in the you know what, to phone SONY or netflicks and spend a half hour on the phone reprogramming or installing new software updates.
Maybe some of the old folks who just won't accept new technology don't have the patience to deal with its flaws. I had a renter who refused to use the computer to pay bills and buy things because he was convinced the government followed his every move. Another thing is that all this new technology IS expensive. So, you never know the real reason people reject your assistance in trying to move them into the 21st century.
Offer to help them shop and learn the technology but don't push it.
This should be a feel good thread for all of us! 'We', collectively speaking, are pretty much cutting edge compared to lots of folks out there. We are lucky. Technology helps us every day. For the most part, we are still learning and growing.
I wonder if there will come a day when I suddenly become too old to be interested or change/adapt to what's new out there? I hope not and I am planning on fighting it! Still learning my new Android so I can't go over the hill yet! And I just finished extending my wired and wireless network. Works much better now!
Recently, I have mentioned the new person in my life, SO's cousin. He relocated from NYC to Vegas. He is seriously, with just a few exceptions, a throwback to the 1980's. He is in his 60's but to me he seems 'older' than my mom was in her mid 80's.
He does use a cellphone. But when it comes to paying the bill, he will travel by bus to the store and pay an extra dollar to pay it in person and get a receipt. He is disabled and walks with a cane so this trip will take him at least a couple hours. And it will be painful too. Plus the bus costs money. So I showed him it takes less than 10 seconds to pay a cell bill online and you get a confirming text and an email receipt within seconds. Will he do it? I think not.
He still buys stamps, checks, and mails his bills. Then he checks with each company every month to make sure they received his payment. Really? I don't think I have done these things for decades. Everything is online.
He loves the library. And he goes there in person to check out books. And carries them home on the bus. I showed him how I do it. I virtually go to the library and download what I want to read. Sometimes I read a book on the computer, and sometimes I will put the book on my Android or Nook so it's portable. The look on his face was pure deer in headlights. Just the idea totally befuddled him.
He loves music. Growing up in NYC and living there all these years gave him the opportunity to actually see almost all his favorite artists. He has an extensive collection...wait for it....on vinyl. He has never owned a CD. He actually has a turntable and plays records. So I showed him my ipod. SO introduced him to his collection of CD's and the wonder of Bose speakers. And burned him a CD.
Maybe the most confusing part of this is that he is our contemporary and it's like talking to your grandparents. I have no idea if he can be dragged into this millennium but I'm going to try. I built him a laptop out of spare parts I had lying around. I guess a new challenge for me will be trying to teach him how to use it.
How can anyone reach 60+ in this day and age NOT be computer savvy? He has never bought anything online either.
Take a minute to think about what technology does for us every day and be thankful we aren't like this guy! Just being able to access and use things online, like this forum, from our armchairs, is a great gift. Till I met this guy I took most of it for granted. I think I will start paying more attention!
I fell into technology because I fell into it as a career and fell is the right word for it.
My partner has gotten a lot better over the years and it’s rare she can’t resolve her own issues now. We’re in our 60s. Our generation grew up with technology, so it’s not uncommon to have it – I just happened to live through it up close. I hate smartphones and stayed away until my hearing got screwy enough that I had to be able to get texts (and I hate sending them).
We have friends who all use computers (all past 60- mid 70s) and some are a lot more capable than others. I’ve received panicked emails and calls from someone who could’ve been scammed if she didn't email me. She was a nurse.
I think it’s wonderful your cousin keeping the lack of technology as his focal point. He gets him out of the house.
Your cousin’s happy (he may not be but it seems obvious).
Why don’t you ask if he wants to learn how to use the computer and accept his answer?
I don’t think anyone has the answer to this but if he stopped his manual errands, and had him more confined to where he lives, will this make him older faster?
Technology is confusing. It’s very hackable and I come from that background. We had neighbors in NY who kept their cable tv on one station because they messed things up when they changed it. They were content. Technology (just changing one tv station) wasn't right for them and we didn't press it.
With the complexity of the latest Windows, I have no idea how to get basic ideas in an older person’s head. (Not the young 70 year old here.) 40 years ago, I got poster paper and drew a picture
of how mainframes work connected to a send/receive network (in house version of the internet). That worked but Windows… Good luck even with subsets of it. I just don't know why you even bother with this because it's his life.
I’m also very much opposed to all this technology. But that’s another thread.
I love technology. I find that some of the older women don't have a smart phone and a computer.....they just don't think they need it and are intimidated about using or learning to use it. I'd be lost without it.
our local Verizon store is like going to a senior center - sadly, the majority of the kids working there aren't that savvy & give seniors lines of BS just to appease them; I've learned who is truly helpful.
My 90+ y/o mother is clueless about technology; that's OK, but I realize how much things she has no clue of come up in everyday conversation ("got a text from brother", "saw on Facebook that..." "ordered it from Amazon"). I imagine even books, TV could be a bit baffling with all tech references.
The implication is that this somehow makes him your inferior. I disagree. Why should he do it the ''modern way'' which is nothing more than your way. I'm sure that you think your sneering and condescending acccount of this gentleman will elicit laughing agreement from everyone.
I'm 71; I do pay bills online and order many things online because I find it convenient and often the only source of certain goods. I use the internet to find information of all sorts quickly. That doesn't make me superior, however.
I have a desktop and a Kindle Paperwhite. I do not own a pad, tablet, or similar. My cell phone is basic. I've received text messages, but I've never had a reason to send one.
I use a wood-fired cook stove because I prefer it to ''modern'' gas or electric ranges.
You must really consider me to be your inferior.
I'd have lunch with him, but I sure wouldn't with you.
IMO you're reading into the post that attitude of "superiority" on the part of the OP towards the gentleman of whom he/she speaks. If you read it without your own assumptions or projections, you might see that the emphasis in the post is on making the gentleman's life easier by introducing him to the technology which would make his tasks easier. The OP also appears to be spending much of his/her own time, efforts and resources into helping this guy out. Someone with a "superiority" complex towards another would just sneer at the other and walk on by.
our local Verizon store is like going to a senior center - sadly, the majority of the kids working there aren't that savvy & give seniors lines of BS just to appease them; I've learned who is truly helpful.
My 90+ y/o mother is clueless about technology; that's OK, but I realize how much things she has no clue of come up in everyday conversation ("got a text from brother", "saw on Facebook that..." "ordered it from Amazon"). I imagine even books, TV could be a bit baffling with all tech references.
Man oh man, the VZW stores have tried to snow us for years (because they don't know the technology). I went in for my partner a few weeks ago and asked for the geek who helped us in the past. The guy they gave me was robotically reading a script from his head. I went home and did some online searches again and fixed the issue. If it happens again, I'll be just loud enough and firm - either get me someone who knows the technology or I'm walking out. That could be beneficial to them unless people around me hear me. I agree they think they can snow us.
Peace must be with your 90+ y/o mother since she doesn't have to deal with the tech stuff out here.
My grandmother is 78 and barely knows how to use an ATM card. If she needs cash, she always goes inside. She still writes checks when able. I do know a lot of people in their 50s and 60s who have embraced computers and the mobile revolution.
I say to each his /her own. I know a lot of even younger people not that interest. In fact I am shocked by the lack of real human contact by the young. I mean TV was tech when I was young and I really didn't have the time to waste on it by choice. Blind dating by computer shows many have real social problem.
Not at all. He is a good guy and I like him. I do feel sorry for him because especially with his disability, technology could make his life much easier. There's no 'superior' or 'inferior' to it. Just a statement of fact. It's like he is from a different era. He does make me appreciate my daily effortless use of technology and make me hope I continue to keep up!
Maybe he enjoys the social interaction of doing all his business in person.
I just got off of Scype with my 91 year old mom. She has been using the computer for years. She has an IPhone, a laptop, and a desktop. She uses Amazon, orders online from some of her favorite stores, and keeps up with family and friends on Face Book. Age has nothing to do with it. It is all exposure, interest, and availability. (in my opinion)
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