I will be quick to admit that I’m a high tech junkie that
loves the latest and greatest iPad, iPhone or MacBook pro that has come out. I
also know that not everyone is as tech savvy as the younger generation growing
up that has helped birth social media and it’s addictive powers on most but not
typically the older generation. I know that most baby boomers probably live or
die by their iPhones or androids. Yet, I know that for some 80 somethings plus
it can be very frustrating when your e-mail doesn’t work or you can’t figure
out why the Internet isn’t working.
I have spent the last week with my in-laws who are truly
amazing people. My father in-law is a quasi high tech guy who has been a
computer person since the pc clones came out in the middle 80’s just as he was
retiring. I know that my bias for Apple products is something, which he doesn’t
get. The sad thing for him is that he has 3 different types of high tech
surrounding him that all work very differently and it is rather confusing to
get your iPad to have multiple e-mail addresses, get e-mail from your droid and
then figure out why the internet isn’t working on your dinasourish PC that is
more than 6 years old. So I can understand why he doesn’t want to do anything like
Facebook or LinkedIn regardless of what I or others say.
I know that anyone in their 80’s probably isn’t going to get
it with smart phones, tablets and laptops. I can’t fathom someone taking the
time and making it work for non-high tech seniors. My father in-law just jumped
out of a plane a few days ago for his birthday present. He got this awesome
video from the company that did the jump. The challenge is that he wants to
copy it and share it with the rest of his family. I seriously doubt I will be able
to walk him through what needs to be done for this to work. I had also done a
different video of him landing on my iPhone. It turned out awesome but I
explained that I couldn’t add it to his other video and he wasn’t sure why that
wasn’t possible.
I know it is easy for those that are high tech to treat
those that aren’t as high tech in a rather demeaning fashion. I have to
apologize because at times I get furious with my wife who has been a computer
person for over 30 years but at times can’t figure out the most basic things.
She has an iPhone, iPad and MacBook, yet continues to confuse hardware with
software. I know that I’m not always the most patient especially with family
members.
I truly attempted to get my father in-law’s driod to get his
latest e-mail and for some odd reason it wasn’t receiving it. He had added
another e-mail address and it seemed like it was only turned on for his Gmail
account but he wasn’t using it. I had walked him through updating his iPad for more
than one e-mail account and it worked just fine. I’m afraid the solution for my
father in-law is to get him an iPhone that works just like his iPad and avoid
the confusion. Next, I will have to get him a MacBook pro and get rid of his
ancient PC desktop that takes forever to come on and function.
I know it will be very humbling for me when my grandkids
attempt to console me when I can’t figure out the latest apple products in
another 20 years. So I do want to repent from being arrogant at times with
those closest to me who don’t get high tech ‘stuff’.
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