"Mom, what if, for your birthday I programmed your cell phone to ring to happy birthday?"
Inside, it said:
"You wouldn't be able to do anything about it, huh?"
It's funny, isn't it? There have been many jokes about technology and old people...for good reason. Take the famous quote from Groucho Marx: "A child of five would understand this. Somebody fetch a child a five." Now, I doubt Groucho was looking for somebody to change the ring tone on his cell phone, but the phenomenon seems to be old. Isn't it scary what happens when a person gets old?
This is the point at which I am hoping my mother doesn't ever find my blog, as she thinks she is very young. I have tried explaining this to her many times. "Ma, you're allowed to be old. You're a grandmother!" She doesn't buy that though. She thinks she is young. After all, she has a blackberry! I haven't yet had the heart to tell her that a blackberry doesn't make one young. On the other hand, a blackberry with over 30o unread emails, courtesy of an owner who can't figure out how to open an email on it...makes one something very un-young. And then, they get their new phone, and you can ask to borrow their car for a month straight if you want it, because without you, your parents can't change the wallpaper, the ring tone, or even figure out how to get to their contacts.
What is it about age that makes people lose touch with modern technology? It's not like kids just learn to use the technology of their era, and then lose it. Kids keep up to date with advances, while middle age (plus) people are left fumbling with their dinosaurs on the wayside. And then, those kids grow up and they start to tinker with dinosaurs while their kids send each other text messages making fun of their silly looking parents.
All I know is this. I sincerely hope I can age gracefully. When I get old, I don't want to be found tinkering with the next generation's version of a blackberry, sneaking peaks at the manual when I think no one is looking.
Someone, show this to me in 45 years, ok?
12 comments:
it's all about patience and knowing that if you press the button you're not gonna break the thing... Also memory - teens have a flexible memory while older people have a stagnated memory. it's like a play dough - once you've built something it's hard to change its form....
There's a blog you will probably like...it's called: inspirationalinformation [dot] blogspot [dot] com
Enjoy!
This is why they have radio stations dedicated to the oldies--the songs and the people. It's very hard to get used to newer things, and in twenty, thirty years from now, there will be new stations just playing the "Classic" pop we hear on all the current stations today.
I doubt you'll ever have a problem...
Our parents didn't grow up with any electronic devices, (not even calculators) learning a complete new concept at age 40 is not so easy.
I agree with Inspired! I mean, they have come a long way- from using a slide rule to actually knowing how to use email is a LONG way away. My mother learned how to type on a typewriter, and she programed using those punched cards that you fed into a machine. So, don't make so much fun. They've come much further than you or me.
You'd be surprised to hear that there are actually some older people who are willing to learn the way new technology works - and that's where the secret lies. If you want to learn it, you can! I have seen it with my own eyes...There is someone I know who is really old, and I saw her using a palm pilot. I almost flipped! She was hunched over and using the stylus while her fingers were shaking! Seriously!
So if you want to learn, you can! And in 45 years from now, when technology is soo much more advanced than it is today, we will be able to keep up, as long as we stay interested and want to keep up with the times...
i agree with inspired. its all what you grew up with. if you grow up with computers its alot different than being introduced to them at 30 or 40. the other thing is, if you havent grown up with these things you realize that one can live a full life without them.
BTS- Interesting. :-)
Anon- Yep, I've seen it. :-)
BC- Scary thought...
Insp- I dunno how old your parents are. Mine had some electronic devices, and they arent all that young.
NMF- true, but they had much longer to come in... ;-) And- it doesnt make them look any less dumb when they fumble with their cell phones.
IAG- LOL! Omg I am picturing that scene...
FSF- That's a good point. They see how possible it is to live without a cell phone...
The electronic devices at that time is at all not the same as it is today. Here's what happens when you give today's teen a walkman. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8117619.stm
Insp- Cool! I liked that article! Lol
I've met some older people who are remarkably well-read and fluent with technology as it comes out. More than one of them are grandparents for quite a few years already. As BTS said, it's partially about patience and memory-loss that elderly people suffer from.
On the other hand, there's a word/concept I learned from a friend of mine recently; Luddites. They were people in England who didn't like the Industrial Revolution so they would burn down the factories. So the old generation that refuse to accept technological advances are jokingly referred to as Luddites. It makes sense theoretically. Things worked just fine back in the day, why change them? Conveniences? They aren't used to those. Things didn't come easily. To them, things shouldn't come easily. In some ways I think they're right.
Guys, just use this as a guide http://xkcd.com/627/
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