Technology and the elderly > Likes and Comments

Technology seems to be leaving me in the rearview mirror. I just got a cellphone a couple of years ago, and the only reason was the robo calls on my landline phone. Now the stores are all going to self checkouts and you can certainly see the frustration among customers. Young people catch on to new innovations quickly, but it's tough as you get older.

I'm right there with you. Sometimes I feel like a dinosaur.

That's one reason I'm nervous about retiring. Right now I'm forced to keep up at least somewhat with techology.

We have a regular phone over the internet. I barely ever answer it. Hubby gets those robot calls on his cell phone too. Hubby works in IT so i am quite safe. I do feel like a dinosaur but he does fix everything easily

I respect technology and think it’s not for everyone but it seems “business” wants to force us to use it, pare down all human interface, use AI or robotics as labor and charge us the same prices. I think the elderly and all people could do with more people, community and family support.

I read an article a few weeks ago about stores losing money as some people aren't scanning all the items at self checkouts. There's no big shock there. I've had an issue with the product not scanning and having to enter the product code manually, and the machine still won't take it the info.

Sadly, the push to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour won’t end there, and will increase to 20, 30, 60, as time goes by. Businesses are dealing with the increase in cost by eliminating entry level positions, and employing customers to self checkout, and even order at kiosks. I’m concerned for the welfare of workers entering the workforce. Where are they going to gain the experience to prove they deserve to be paid? The future doesn’t look good.

Well, there are plenty of low paying jobs around here (West Michigan). Let's hope the minimum wage increases, because no one can support themselves making $15 an hour. That's what our daughter was making at her first job out of college (in 2021), and if we hadn't been paying for her car, her health costs, her cell phone, her clothing, and a few other things, she wouldn't have been able to eat. I sat down with her to write a budget and it was ridiculous. Even with a roommate, she could barely pay her bills.

Susan wrote: "That's one reason I'm nervous about retiring. Right now I'm forced to keep up at least somewhat with techology."

It is getting harder to keep up with changing tecnology at work but fortunately I get along very well with all the young people --Gen z'ers and so they are happy to help me out when I need it.

I'm retired, but I've been forced to keep up with technology to make my life easier. I do okay with it, but sometimes I feel like a monkey just hitting keys until something works :-)

This month of February is Black History Month. Does anyone know what month is White History Month, Hispanic History Month or Asian History Month? I’m confused.

I just saw that there are upcoming Black awards shows including the BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Soul Train Music Awards, and Black Reel Awards. No White people allowed.

What does any of that have to do with technology and the elderly?
Does it just not fit under any other category?

I kept up a blog a few years ago for awhile. For me, learning to set up that blog was like a foreign language! But it was an accomplishment to figure it out - with some help from my husband.

But I still like to keep like simple. Even though I have a 'smart' phone thanks to my son, about all I do on it is phone calls, texts, and photos.
"Will you be using your app today, ma'am?"
Nope.
E-mails, okay, and various options attached to it.
But dealing with viruses, updates, certain downloads..... help!

Geraldine wrote: "What does any of that have to do with technology and the elderly?
Does it just not fit under any other category?"

👍 I was wondering about that too Geraldine. Robert opened the discussion topics again so maybe it could go under " complaint dept" LOL 🫣


Lisa, I sure agree with you:
seems “business” wants to force us to use it, pare down all human interface, use AI or robotics as labor and charge us the same prices.
I get SO ticked off when its impossible to get a "real person" and some places actually have no option for it. But I don't see it cutting prices. I know it's the norm now, but I'm fed up with "go to our website..." It feels like they have cut staff so badly that they force us to do their job. Yesterday I was talking to a rep (after waiting 49 min) and they said"if you'll log in and fill this out..." it was my name/address and they were already ON that screen!!
I'm ok with learning but there's NO human service anymore.
I agree the elderly and all people could do with more people, community and family support... but it's not always there. I feel extremely overlooked & underrated.
🫣🤔🙏💕

thats fair!

Ruth wrote: "lol Mary Jo. My husband and I had this conversation last night. His smartphone is strictly phone calls and YouTube. Hahaha. No emails…no apps…he won’t even text. I, on the other hand, sold my deskt..."

I have a laptop, iPad, kindle fire, and iPhone. And do most everything on it. My mom had an old flip phone and was just starting to get into reading on a Nook. She never texted or have email. She strictly made calls, but until last year when my sister took her phone away from her.

Ruth wrote: "Let’s be real…Robert makes discussion threads, but we go rogue all of the time. We never look at the headings. We just click and ramble on. To be honest, this is technology and aging and we did use..."

You are so right Ruth!!

This maybe a stupid comment, but I cannot believe we’re in the 21 first century and we are still interacting on social media on a device aka known as the cell phone. Example: I’m watching the cooking channel on TV and I decide to check my email or my Goodreads. With my TV remote I should be able to tap on a button and it goes to internet and I scroll down to Goodreads, Facebook, Email or any other website I have. Now I’m looking at my internet features on a device that is large instead of a device the size of a pack of cigarettes!

I love technology and try my hardest to stay on top of all the changes. I am the go to person at work and home for all the help and questions, lol. Not sure I became a Tech nerd 🤓 but here I am .

I still haven't figured it all out. Some of them talk. We were doing a show one year, I was the ticket person. I was getting frustrated because I couldn't call up square on our tablet to make a sale. I finally just told the thing "I hate you". It says "that's not very nice." I almost dropped it, I didn't know it could even talk!

yep! My sister said she was swearing at their jeep for something. It piped up telling her just because it was an object doesn't mean it liked being talked to that way. I think that surprised her.

It's hard enough for the elderly to use cell phones because they can't hear, but when they get someone at a company with a foreign accent.

The day you are griping silently to yourself about something not working correctly and your TV says you should be retired as in " un lived " permanently, you will know AI is now the boss.!
😲

In my 40s, I was the one other members of the support staff came to for help with software problems; copier jam problems; Excell, Database, and Word problems; etc.. Now, in my late 70s, I can spend 40 minutes trying to coax a 1-page document from my printer. Cursing at it in two languages doesn't have the desired effect.

France’s I completely get that. I was an English teacher and they had me do all the computer/tech training for the district. Coworkers would say how I could answer any questions about it. Now, my three year old grandson has to show me things. Lol.

The scene in Office Space when their printer wouldn’t spit a page out and the message PC LOAD LETTER appeared is just what this thread reminds me of. I actually had a printer that would malfunction and spit out PC LOAD LETTER, allowing me to exclaim just as the characters did, “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

ROFL. I remember that scene. You are spot on !!!

You got me there. But I know less about that, than my laptop or phone. My keyboard locked up & I don't know why. To type I have to restart it eveytime I turn it on. go figure.

Sadly, restarting is a part of my life now. I’ve mitigated it by quitting my browser when I’m not using it. Trouble is I have to log in an OTP code every time. Tech sucks.

Sadly, restarting applies to most things I do now. Restarting just to get out of bed. Restarting because I forgot I had food on the stove. Restarting because I forgot I put clothes in the washer three days ago. Restarting because I forgot the punchline to the joke I was telling so I had to tell it again. Sigh. So, restarting my computer fits right in.

Yep, and getting to another room for something, but what?, and having to restart from where you thought about what you needed. Good exercise, though :-)