Destroying Myths about Older People and Technology

I’ve always been a keen adopter of technology. My love/hate relationship with it began in the ‘60s when I was taught to touch type on an Imperial typewriter at school, and with my first purchase – a small transistor radio to listen to music on the move. By the mid-1980s, I’d graduated to our first PC, the legendary Commodore 64. I hated typing in codes when I wanted to go to a new line or paragraph, and it was a relief when the old Commodore was replaced with a PC running Windows 95. This was then upgraded to a couple of laptops and, eventually, a tablet. My latest purchase, a Samsung Galaxy S5 mini, completes my gadget arsenal, for now at least…

Sink or swim
This love of gadgets has developed alongside a need to ‘sink or swim’ when it comes to using technology for work. As an Office Manager for a small engineering firm, I have used computers since early ‘90s and was responsible for upgrading systems as technology changed. This involved not only adapting to email and learning to use word processors, but also setting up a web page and converting the accounting system from manual to computer. My employer decided if someone had to learn all this it was going to be me, not him – he had enough headaches to deal with!

This was a great learning curve and I discovered something crucial to my love of new technology – it is very hard to do any damage, and you learn better by trying things yourself then having someone else do it for you.

Common misconceptions
While for me being interested in trying new technology is completely natural, people are usually surprised when told I am the person in the family who owns all the latest gadgets and decides what tech we buy. They expect my husband to be the gadget guy. This misconception applies not only to acquaintances but also salespeople – and was put into sharp relief recently.

Last year I needed a new MP3 player, camera and mobile. After researching online I decided the best option was a smartphone with all three functions in one device, and so I set out to my local tech store (which I’ll refrain from naming to protect the guilty). I went in with my husband and began explaining to the salesman what I required and my preferences and then I asked his opinion. To my surprise, rather than answering my questions, he turned to my husband and started talking to him – without a glance in my direction – about pros and cons of different smartphone models. Like me, my husband was a bit taken aback. He quickly told the salesman he was talking to the wrong person – and that for him phones are simply there for calling people! If I hadn’t had vouchers for that store I would have walked out and bought elsewhere.

It’s actually a lot easier today
I would love to think this is an isolated incident, but unfortunately it is all too common. And it’s what motivated me to join the Age Hackers in challenging misconceptions. Younger generations don’t realise that today’s smartphones and tablets are easy to use compared to earlier devices. You just charge and go, plus there are apps and search engines that do the work for you. It’s a long way from, and a whole lot easier than, coding your way through a doc on the Commodore 64 – that’s for sure!

Carol Bron, Age Hacker