Why are old people so hopeless with technology?

[William Wonka]

Really?
I'm in my mid 40's, and we used computers at high school. And a state school at that.

There were computers at the school towards the end of my education certainly, probably a ratio of one computer for every 200 or so students, if id been so inspired I could have gotten the use of one for 15 mins every few weeks.

Every piece of work I ever handed in was handwritten.

 

[Firestarter]

There were computers at the school towards the end of my education certainly, probably a ratio of one computer for every 200 or so students, if id been so inspired I could have gotten the use of one for 15 mins every few weeks.

Every piece of work I ever handed in was handwritten.

By choice it was the same for me and I graduated year 12 in 2005. Helps when Uni still enforces hand written bloody exams.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

By choice it was the same for me and I graduated year 12 in 2005. Helps when Uni still enforces hand written bloody exams.

Daughter of a friend was panicking about having to hand-write a 2000-word essay for a Uni exam. Had not hand-written anything all year.

 

[Firestarter]

Daughter of a friend was panicking about having to hand-write a 2000-word essay for a Uni exam. Had not hand-written anything all year.

All you can do is practice if not every day then maybe three times a week. Get used to the wrist ache and might as well try to make it legible.

 

[Damon_3388]

Anyone else find that the older person's inability with technology is often accompanied with a deathly fear that a wrong press/click/push will result in the device "blowing up" or something else silly like that?

It's the unwillingness/fear of just trying things and seeing what happens that puzzles me. I'm approaching 30, but I was never taught how to use a computer or smartphone or anything else. I just tried it and figured it out.

 

[perthblue]

We had 2 computers in my year 4 classroom, so that would be 1993. I don't remember using computers at school from years 1-3 but we were pretty young so given the cost at the time it probably wasn't worth it. By year 6/7 we were doing 1 or 2 classes a week in a computer room (full of Apple Macintosh Classics) then through high school it was Windows PCs with network logons etc. I would've thought it was pretty common for schools to have computers from the early to mid 90s (perhaps even late 80s) which would fit your timeline. It was a state school so none of the stuff we had was cutting edge for the time either, and I'm pretty sure whenever new computers came in the old ones were handed down to the younger grades.

i was in primary school from 97-03 and theres way less computers in the primary school library now than there was when I was a student. When i was a kid we had 3 rows of computers, probably 20-30 all up. now theres about 7 computers there. maybe they have a special computer room now or something, but it was strange to see.

 

[perthblue]

Anyone else find that the older person's inability with technology is often accompanied with a deathly fear that a wrong press/click/push will result in the device "blowing up" or something else silly like that?

It's the unwillingness/fear of just trying things and seeing what happens that puzzles me. I'm approaching 30, but I was never taught how to use a computer or smartphone or anything else. I just tried it and figured it out.

I think with my parents they watch too much shitty news programs, and are convinced that one wrong click on their laptop or mobile phone will result in all their money being stolen by Romanian hackers, or whoever the latest villain is.

 

[RelaxMax]

I wouldn't call it silly

Older people come from a time where stuff was built to last... not just be used and thrown away

Plus there was no such thing as a disposable income back then

They (and I) grew up learning to take care of appliances and the like because we could not afford to just get another one

 

[Firestarter]

Quoted the wrong guy...

This thread reminds me of a Burn Notice quote:

"Technology that tends to make communication easier also tends to make it more vulnerable."

And it doesn't only apply to bluetooth on your phone.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Really?
I'm in my mid 40's, and we used computers at high school. And a state school at that.

Roughly the same. We got a computer in primary school, but not until I was in grade six. I'm not sure I ever touched it.
Even in the high school with the 1950s text books we had a computer room. Maybe 10-12 BBC Micros.

I don't think I saw a mouse, of the non-rodent variety, until uni though. Or was there an Apple IIe at one of the high schools ....

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

i was in primary school from 97-03 and theres way less computers in the primary school library now than there was when I was a student. When i was a kid we had 3 rows of computers, probably 20-30 all up. now theres about 7 computers there. maybe they have a special computer room now or something, but it was strange to see.

The kids all have their own laptops or tablets now. Probably mostly tablets, not much need for the school to provide a PC.

 

[Summer Nights]

Some old people are great. Others not so great. The latter is no doubt a combination of age, lack of motivation to learn, fear and deference to the young.

I do sometimes think older people pretend that they can’t work something like a DVD player or whatever. I mean, it makes no rational sense that an old lady who can knit a kick arse jumper can’t press eject or play on a remote control. It’s just them assuming the role of the cute elderly person who’s not up with technology like their “genius grandchild” who’s a brilliant techno wiz.

 

[wal]

At what age does one become an "old" person?

 

[Reynolds Number]

Father is in his late 50s

Had to write up his CV after he asked and gave me information on his employment.

He cannot write up a CV as he is so used to just getting jobs through the old fashioned ring around people he knows since he was 20.

After I sent that back to him in both PDF and Word format whilst I am applying for work in a career field he asks me to write up a cover letter. No information provided "I need a cover letter just write one up". Jesus christ.

 

[perthblue]

At what age does one become an "old" person?

21 and younger = kid
22 - 29 = young adult
30 - 39 = “still” young
40 - 45 = sunset of young days
45+ = officially old. go and call talkback radio stations and sit at bus stops with no particular destination in mind.

 

[Gough]

Ah well, six months to go. Vale me.

 

[footyfan1978]

The kids all have their own laptops or tablets now. Probably mostly tablets, not much need for the school to provide a PC.

Plus if schools are using mainly laptops now, the space to store them is much smaller so not like you need to see computer desks with the size of computers from 20 years ago now taking up space.

 

[footyfan1978]

Ah well, six months to go. Vale me.

What bus stop are you at?

 

[Quadzilla]

Yeah, back then only for gaming at home.
I think at school when introduced it was like only 2 or 3 computers for whole school and based in the library. Hundreds of students for 2 or 3 computers. Not that useful back then so only limited use for each person.

Computers at home for internet sort of only became the norm in mid 90's and even then it really was only dial up internet and videos on internet were still some time to come. A decade later and things like skype on internet were the norm and way faster than dial up. Some people did not even know what at internet address was only 5 years prior to that. Someone whom is 21 today would have no concept of a pre-internet world.
Amazing how much it has changed in only two decades.

I had internet first at home in late 2000 (aged 43) ... I had resisted be4 that as I used computers at Telstra and at home couldnt really be bothered. I hired a computer as I had 3 months off work with an illness. Saved stuff and thought yea I can access later ... doh - it was on that hard drive I got told by the GF - hard drive --- huh? I always had a mobile as at Telstra (1975-2002) we always could get the latest phones with cheap plans.

Dial up was exciting ... drank lots of coffee waiting tho - it was a pain.Tthen I had ADSL via ISDN ... I was too far from exchange for direct access - that was half a pain! MOVED AND WAS BACK ON DIAL UP for awhile!!!

... Eventually ADSL now NBN (nothing bloody works) ... over the years every move created some new drama til a TELCO got their shit together.

Now I embrace smart TVS and phones (I am 60yo) ... cant understand 'cloud' tho but hope the photos that disappeared off my phone last November went in there somewhere.

A 21yo in Adelaide only knows the crows ... so sad!

 

[footyfan1978]

I had internet first at home in late 2000 (aged 43) ... I had resisted be4 that as I used computers at Telstra and at home couldnt really be bothered. I hired a computer as I had 3 months off work with an illness. Saved stuff and thought yea I can access later ... doh - it was on that hard drive I got told by the GF - hard drive --- huh? I always had a mobile as at Telstra (1975-2002) we always could get the latest phones with cheap plans.

Dial up was exciting ... drank lots of coffee waiting tho - it was a pain.Tthen I had ADSL via ISDN ... I was too far from exchange for direct access - that was half a pain! MOVED AND WAS BACK ON DIAL UP for awhile!!!

... Eventually ADSL now NBN (nothing bloody works) ... over the years every move created some new drama til a TELCO got their shit together.

Now I embrace smart TVS and phones (I am 60yo) ... cant understand 'cloud' tho but hope the photos that disappeared off my phone last November went in there somewhere.

A 21yo in Adelaide only knows the crows ... so sad!

ha ha, about dial ups and clouds.

I can still remember first time trying to connect computer to internet on dial up in mid 1990's.
As far as user friendly, the internet for use at home then was basically reading or even interacting with e-mails and basic chat programs or even bulletin boards ?

Sounds and Videos we are used to today and even websites for football clubs etc. were yet to come.
My hotmaiil address is over 20 years old now.

Things like Supercoach now were the Age Dreamteam then of sending in teams via postal mail and scores update in newspaper on Monday.

You getting internet at tome in late 2000's was the time it was all so much more user friendly and now it is just expected everyone has a smartphone, tablets etc etc.

I imagine a lot of personal computers before early 2000's were not for internet but for PC games or other programs.

 

[Quadzilla]

ha ha, about dial ups and clouds.

I can still remember first time trying to connect computer to internet on dial up in mid 1990's.
As far as user friendly, the internet for use at home then was basically reading or even interacting with e-mails and basic chat programs or even bulletin boards ?

Sounds and Videos we are used to today and even websites for football clubs etc. were yet to come.
My hotmaiil address is over 20 years old now.

Things like Supercoach now were the Age Dreamteam then of sending in teams via postal mail and scores update in newspaper on Monday.

You getting internet at tome in late 2000's was the time it was all so much more user friendly and now it is just expected everyone has a smartphone, tablets etc etc.

I imagine a lot of personal computers before early 2000's were not for internet but for PC games or other programs.

My hotmail was 1997 I reckon ... 'portpower97'...set up by the ex who embraced new tech better than me ... so well she had affairs online than finally ran off interstate with a person she met online ... lol

Chat was the main use I recall back then ... yahoo chat rooms or groups that had boards set up.

 

[footyfan1978]

My hotmail was 1997 I reckon ... 'portpower97'...set up by the ex who embraced new tech better than me ... so well she had affairs online than finally ran off interstate with a person she met online ... lol

Chat was the main use I recall back then ... yahoo chat rooms or groups that had boards set up.

OMG, ha ha about the ex online affair. So early 2000's of her. You should have suspected something when Skype program appeared with headset back then.

 

[Quadzilla]

OMG, ha ha about the ex online affair. So early 2000's of her. You should have suspected something when Skype program appeared with headset back then.

We met in 1990 at work but not get together til both free in 2000 - we split in 2003, divorced in June 2005 - we had a son ... war broke out but all get on fiNE now! I then had 3 affairs online ... at least mine were with single women ... I married the last one in 2009 - all good there

... as a celebration in May 05 - after the family court hearing be4 the official paperwork in June 05, I bought a carton of Coopers Ale, a cordless drill and joined big footy /// haha

 

[footyfan1978]

We met in 1990 at work but not get together til both free in 2000 - we split in 2003, divorced in June 2005 - we had a son ... war broke out but all get on fiNE now! I then had 3 affairs online ... at least mine were with single women ... I married the last one in 2009 - all good there

... as a celebration in june 05, I bought a carton of Coopers Ale, a cordless drill and joined big footy /// haha

OMG at the pair of you. Someone could make that into a comedy tv mini-series.

 

[perthblue]

Ah well, six months to go. Vale me.

Better go to the bank and get out 30kilograms of coins to pay for your groceries with