Why do I struggle so much with tech compared with my kids?

There it is – the famed eye roll again. Either your grandchild or someone much, much younger than you is trying to show you some tech trick that they just take for granted. In fact, tech knowledge just seems to come naturally to them. Why is that anyway? And why do some of us have literally no idea how this works?

If you’ve ever wondered why it’s more difficult for you to pick up your iPad and instinctively know what to do, know how to change your settings, and know how to find what you want, than it is for your younger peers, then read on…

Younger generations have an “expected” UI (user interface)

If you are a baby boomer, then you’ve grown up without having a computer in the house, without being able to rely on programs to do the work for you in your professional life, without mobile phones for, oh, at least 2/3 of your life so far (and that was the earliest computer and phone models!).

Now let’s take a look at the average 25yr old. They won’t remember a time when they didn’t have the internet, when there wasn’t a computer in the house, a time when all of their friends didn’t have mobile phones. Technology is now such an ingrained part of life they literally have no concept of how life would be without it.

In fact, for anyone under the age of about 40, they are used to having computers, or some variation of them, around for the majority of their lives. And most variations of technology build upon the experience expected by the user. The same concepts that were around when they were introduced to technology as a 3 or 4 yr old is still in effect now – albeit in a slightly different form.

Learning something new is hard!

If we think about technology, and the way in which we expect to handle computers and devices as a new type of “language”, then we can get to the bottom of why Baby Boomers struggle so much with tech. Tech is like a new kind of language… Have you ever tried to pick up a new language as an adult? Spanish, French, maybe? Learning a new language – especially when you are older – can be very difficult. Often you are able to nail down the very basics, however fluency is elusive. This is very similar to technology.

You might like to think of understanding computers as understanding a different language – and different devices or technologies as similar languages and yet different. For instance, you speak English, and you’re learning Spanish – you’ll be able to understand some of Portuguese but not all of it, because of the Spanish that you’re learning. If you gain a base understanding of computers, you’ll be able to apply it to other technologies, too.

Can an old dog learn new tricks?

Come on, do we really have to ask this question?? As with any new topic or area of study, the more that you practice the better that you will get. Immerse yourself in technology: take courses, watch YouTube videos, experiment, and explore. With practice comes fluency. You might even be Snapchatting your great niece before you know it – much to her embarrassment!