Why do older people have to dislike change.

It must be 20 years ago that I was doing outreach work in the local libraries - teaching the 'oldies' how to use a mouse and keyboard, email and internet - along with photo editing/storage and genealogy. They did well, as they were the ones keen to master it. What happened to the others who never did use IT? They must have been dependent on others for help.

Even then, we knew they'd soon have trouble (or be lost) in everyday life without it - and, of course, it constantly changes and updates, needing regular 'new' hardware and software - often at a cost (or gifts from their children of 'not quite the latest' phones and laptops).

A couple of years after the classes stopped, one ancient chap tracked me down at the college - because he was 'stuck' with booking a holiday online!

Could you be any more patronising Hetty58 . Being older is only part of what I am but definitely not an 'oldie'

Catterygirl
That’s my default position, just keep pressing buttons. I always say to people you can’t break it

Catterygirl

Everyone reading this must be able to use the internet???

..

So it would seem.

I think the point may be how much 'new' must be embraced every six months apart from how much one can accomplish with their already owned land-line, TV, computer, or cooker.

All are only examples of items truly not needing upgrades and replacing as often as perhaps happens in a world full of excess.

MerylStreep

Froglady
Forgive me if this comes across as teaching your grandmother how to suck eggs but do you use YouTube for info.
Just incase you don’t, here is an example of how to load an App.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYZzxpFMytg

No, thank you for this. I hadn't thought about YouTube.
It's the language that is used that I struggle with - MyDriveConnect - what?!
But I will persevere with it.
Thank you for replying - it's well received by me.

I'm 65 and have much younger friends I sometimes help with their on-line endeavors.

What no one ever mentions is the disabilities we get older that makes using technology difficult. Arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis, cripples the hands, loss of sight, or its gradual deterioration, all make interfacing with technology difficult.

It is not just problems that may be particular to old age. I have dyspraxia, meaning I have poor fine motor control that makes using a mobile phone with all those tiny symbols and letters, really difficult to use. It has mental effects as well and while my mind is saying 'enter 123', my fingers are entering 213.

You will have noticed that my posts are often littered with typos. That is after I have read and removed most of them, words with all the right letters but in the wrong order.

As well as that the tips of the fingers on my right hand are permanently numb following a not totally successful carpal tunnel syndrome op.

These problems are not limited to the elderly. Yet apart from those big key, very limited function phones, little or nothing is offered to help those who have physical problems in operating a mobile phones.

M0nica Well said - totally agree...and the frustration of knowing these disabilities are going to get worse not better..still can't get thru to Sky re phone landline probs..

...words with all the right letters but in the wrong order.

Wasn't that was Eric Morecambe's explanation to André Previn about his piano playing? All the right notes...😊

Recently a friend and I were having a discussion. We both stopped and looked at each other, confused... my last sentence to her had contained all the right words, just not in the right order... 😬

We don't dislike change that improves our lives but the Tories seem bent on making life harder. Hunt has told Departments to look for spending cuts so that looks likely to mean less service, not more.

I agree with you MOnica.
People with disabilities are the last on the list to be considered.
It's not just the oldies either. We have Dyslexia and dyspraxia in the family.
I wish I had a pound for every time someone has said to me can't you spell that just look again and see it is wrong. I could look 100 times and it would still look right to me.
My late mother had trouble with her hands and found the numbers on a handset very difficult. We got her a tabletop with very large numbers and letters that she could press with her thumb.
Consideration needs to be taken of the less able.What ever their age or disability.

I worked on a checkout encouraging people to sign up for a loyalty card that gave them 10% off on Wednesday. Loads said they were too old I got angry/joking with them saying I will accept you don't want to us a computer, I will not accept that you are too old. I was 66 at the time and starting a new career path, changed again when I hit 68. Never too old to learn new sklls

My 88 year old mum isn’t very tech savvy but is determined to keep emailing, sharing her forum (not here) and doing stuff online. I take my hat off to her BUT every time ‘they’ update an app or change the layout of the screens she is thrown into a spin - what seems a simple update and adjustment to someone in their 40s or whatever is a game changer for many very elderly. She is no longer able to cope with her smart tv and Sky and she’s very unhappy. Her frailties have already diminished the quality of her life and what’s left seems to rely on technology that is on the verge of being too much. It is very sad.

I embraced my smartphone and do everything on it. But my hands tremble all the time due to a rare hereditary neurological condition I was born with . Only got my diagnosis last year I am now 65 because my new neurologist had my blood genetically tested. But it takes me ages to do posts or emails because of my hands tremble and can press keys I don't want it to. So end up pressing send when I don't want to. I think I have spelt things correctly then read it back and find some how it's altered and can mean the opposite to what I meant to say.

But my phone makes things easier for me as I can't write very well as holding a pen hurts and my ability long hand is no more. As its scribble so have to do lower case but to hold the pen it's very hard the writing is very small.

Because of my disability I can forget how to switch things on . I haven't got dementia . It's a mutant gene in my brain receptors which effects my motor movements and cognitive function. So have appliance manuals in the kitchen.

I love learning new things but it takes me several attempts to understand and retain the information so people have to repeat things. If it wasn't for my calendar I couldn't kept track of my life. Even have to mark which colour bin needs putting out.

I lists for everything. Going anywhere is like a military operation. I repeat myself when talking and don't realise I have already said it. The same in posts or emails I repeat myself then have to delete it when I read it back.
Taken me 40 mins to write this 🤦🤦🤦

If I am interested in something I will do all I can to learn about it and make changes if necessary.

For example, I know some people love their phones but I am really not interested. I have an IPhone (provided by husband) and I can make and receive calls, send texts, play Wordle and take photos. That’s it!!