By Evelyn Block
Too many folks 50+ argue that they aren’t using all the technology available to them because they can’t possibly keep up with it all.
There’s not only the computer
Just because they are able to type in a URL on their computer (like LetLifeIn.com), doesn’t mean they’re experts. There’s the smart phone that makes them feel oh so stupid, the TV set that that knows more about what they watch than they do, the online games, and assistive technology that helps with everything from monitoring health to correcting grammar. Despite the commercials running 24/7 on the high tech TV (or the old one-can’t fast forward through commercials) I Pads and apps are foreign words, these people argue that they like holding a book and the dirty black ink smudges they get from reading the newspaper is the way it’s “supposed to be.” No electronic reader for them.
Is fear holding you back?
I say, “Wake up and smell the coffee that is ready before you get up each morning, thank you technology, and get with the program.” Fear is what is holding you back and you need to get over it. The biggest problem at the start of any new task for many people is the sense of how overwhelming it is. For those over 50, we are not natives in this land. We didn’t grow up with it and while we imagined it (remember Dick Tracy’s watch? – and note, young people don’t wear watches, they use their cell phones), no one anticipated the speed with which technology has taken over our lives.
So much more to learn
If you are an expert on the opera, I am certain there is still more for you to learn. If you are a history buff, there are books you still haven’t read and other historians you have yet to meet. I’ve yet to meet a gourmet cook that resists an interesting new recipe. Yet you live comfortably with the idea that even though you can get email, dial a cell phone and turn the TV off and on, the suggestion that you delve further into technology is a boundary you don’t want to cross. It’s not that you can’t. You just won’t. You’re a scaredy cat.
Make life easier and more accessible
Give it up. There will always be more to learn. Have a little faith in this generation of geeks that created this new world. They actually did it to make life easier and more accessible. You can profit from it. Yes, identity theft is a concern, but it’s as much of a concern whether your mail is delivered by computer or delivered by snail. And, if you’re not up to date and on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, what makes you think you are so interesting anyway?
Be a YAPP* or a YAPPER*
If you want to be old, instead of a YAPP (Youthful Active Positive Person) or a YAPPER (Youthful Active Positive Person Enjoying Retirement), here’s just some of what you’ll miss:
- Being able to answer any question that arises instantly.
- Instant sport scores
- Funny videos
- Seeing far away friends and relatives face to face across miles.
- Texting those pesky young folks who refuse to answer their phones.
- Shopping without leaving your house.
- Social networking.
As Yoda once said, fear leads…to hate. Conquer the fear, get educated, and experience the freedom, power, facilitation and imagination that being tech savvy provides.
*YAPP and YAPPER are phrases coined by the Editors of Let Life In
Evelyn Block is Managing Editor of Let Life In
Comments