Age 63 still in a professional job but unable to cope with tech

I suspect it's lack of proper training which is common. We've grown up with technology and at 67 I'm perfectly happy to use it and to learn new processes and applications.

But at the same time I'm happy to ask anyone if for any reason I don't get it.

It's fair to say when I was still working it was me holding the hand of and training many of the younger ones, probably because I have more experience and have essentially grown up with technology.

What made it easy for me was that I was a touch typist from a very young age. Technology is my passion and I try to help others keep up. My son is probably ahead of me but we encourage each other. His fiance recently helped me with my eBay address printing and showed me how to Bluetooth my iPad to my Canon printer. 5 minutes to learn. Keep pressing and guessing as well as accepting advice.

OP I agree that does sound rather different to struggling with work systems.
Whatever the reason I guess knowing it happens you need to check and double check before doing remote banking.
Was it online or over the phone.

I don't think that not dealing with tech is a precursor to Alzheimers.
Most people who haven't been using it for over 30 yrs find it impossibly annoying.
And dealing with customer service loops is frustrating for everyone because they are designed to be as unhelpful as possible.

mrsnonsmoker, you could be me! I am finding at almost 74 that things involving technology change so fast that I have just got used to one system and suddenly it is different! And there are so many things that I do online that sometimes it seems that every single system I use is changing at the same time.

Things in my life in general seem to change too - like the system for appointments at the docs or the bus times, and nobody having a landline any more and I haven't got their mobile number!

Re the £5000 transfer? Could you not just move one of the amounts back to the original account, to get it back in credit?

Thank you for all your responses so far. I think maybe I didnt explain clearly in my original post, or people have seized on work training as something that I can do. Today I transferred £5,000 to one of my accounts, then discovered I'd already arranged to do that yesterday. There was only £5k in the account, so now I could potentially be £5k overdrawn. Of course I'll ring up (if I can get through!) and sort it out. But surely you can't receive training not to do that?

Also I don't see how I could take in any more information, I feel I can't "learn". This is why I fear some sort of decline, and the example I gave about not being able to learn was from the Alzheimers society website.

I volunteer at to give IT support at our local library. I do my best to work out how to help the person sitting next to me. I don't see anyone as being 'stupid' for not having a 'techno brain'. I'm not superior, I can't write poetry or draw anything recognisable (or abstract for that matter), I'm not 'well read'.
However, the world has moved on and many are disadvantaged because 'technology' is not for them.
If I can help, I will. Most customers say they are useless when it comes to technology. Understanding something new takes time and patience. My advice is to give yourself a break, ask for help from someone sympathetic and be willing to take your time with them to gain some understanding. In that way, both benefit.
I don't always succeed, but when a customer stands up at the end of a session and thanks me because I have been able to help them, I feel really pleased for both of us.

Try abilitynet.org or Age UK who also have tech volunteers.
Some cam help you over the phone.

Find a local tutor. There is someone round here who specialises in teaching tech to seniors. And in helping them set up stuff when needed.... like a new laptop or an online bank account. Might be worth asking around. Good luck!
I live in the middle of nowhere and being on top of the tech is invaluable to me.

That doesn't surprise me - re an instructor shooting through saying things because he personally didn't find it a problem.

It is very annoying when people go "Ach! Technology - I can do it/I don't have a problem with it/I'm okay" and they totally seem to think the rest of us are "in the wrong" and say so disparagingly!!! To which I think - "Well you've just proved who is the nicer/more understanding person - ie that you can't seem to grasp others don't have a techno brain. A lot of us don't have a techno brain. We are not the minority".

I guess the ridicule we get coming at us is one of the tactics used to make us all swop - whether we can or can't....ie to try and make out a general issue is a personal/"summat wrong with YOU" issue. It's a form of bullying or "blindness" or both....

I was in my 20s when I took a COBOL course; the instructor, a colleague, was so incredibly intelligent, went too fast and didn't actually explain it terribly well because he just couldn't understand why some of us couldn't pick it up as quickly as he did.

Of course, it was all in its infancy then.

everyone leans differently and it's quite apparent where I work that lots of people struggle with technology and online learning. Even people mid 40s onwards

I have find that some online firms send you round in circles if you try to make a complaint. In many cases it is impossible to phone and you can start off following the complaints procedure, pass go then end up at the start again. Amazon, in particular, is notorious for this.

I have been fairly tech-savvy for years.

Before anyone says why use Amazon - because it is difficult to get to the shops, it is generally useful and yes, I do order from independent British firms too.

Perhaps you just didn't have a very good teacher?

Plaease stop worrying. It’s not you and has probably nothing to do with your age.
My daughter tests the sites that web developers design and build.
For instance the Home office wanted a new computer system.
She would be instructing the staff as to what they have to do to make sure the site is working and safe.
I can’t begin to tell you how many of the ( mostly young people) couldn’t grasp what they were told to do.

I don’t think it’s you , it’s the lack of teaching you the new systems . We all learn differently. I’m better at learning through reading text or books or someone showing me . I’m not good at online videos and sometimes the people in these videos have such a boring voice or are non engaging
I’d ask for some 1-1 .
As for dealing with companies over the phone , you need the patience of a saint to go through all hoops , you’re not alone.

I worked in a bank, and found all the new ‘techy’ stuff difficult, until I got ‘into’ it.

Trouble was, new initiatives came thick and fast, just felt confident with one, and it changed.

I was in charge of a small outlet, and it caused me sleepless nights, not feeling on top of things.

I retired at 60, which was always my plan as my bank pension started then, (but not my state one).

I would probably have carried on as I used to love my job, but all the changes stressed me out.

Have never regretted finishing, it’s a different (not better) world in banking now.

I was exactly the same way as you mrsnonsmoker in my last 4 years of work. My role involved the constant simultaneous use of 8 pc systems which was fine but I just felt bombarded by the 100's of weekly emails and over time was less and less able to digest and store the constant new info and policy updates which were crucial to doing my role. Told management this but they'd just say that I'd be fine but I knew it wasn't happening so felt there was no support there so ended up deliberately very gradually slowing down my work pace and insisting on time out to digest the incessant new info. We had to do 2 compulsory courses yearly with a test at the end which, no if's or buts, had to be passed. Really struggled with these in the latter years and kept failing. Then came up with a brainwave of opening the application twice so I could refer back to the info if stuck on a question - cheating I know but.. Having spoken to others, it was surprising how many were also struggling - even younger ones. So no,it's not you but more likely those examples you gave are just normal forgetfulness that we all have.

kittylester

I also think some people are more able to adapt to tech. We are not all the same.

I agree. A primary school teacher and SENCO, I became an advisory teacher for IT in 1986. We taught teachers to use the newly arrived BBC machines and for the next decade I worked with children with serious illnesses and disabilities, identifying and implementing equipment to help them communicate and learn. After that I became an Inspector of Schools for IT in Local Authorities working with schools to encourage good practice.
I would say that for teachers, learning to use IT resources was about the ability to keep an open mind, adapt and be willing to learn. It can be helpful to be shown how to do things, but it depends who is doing the showing; if someone takes over and tells you how to do it, you won't learn. Generally speaking it is about finding ways of learning that suit the individual, such as YouTube videos, practice and patience. Anything that is badly designed can be frustrating and discouraging, but I would argue that understanding and a level of competence suited to our lifestyle is essential for survival in the world we live in.

My last 3 years before retiring were very similar. I was in a fairly technical role but new IT systems and new ways of working were continually being rolled out. I knew I was going to retire when I was 65 so I simply went along with the flow. There was so much I didn't understand and couldn't grasp. Hilariously it hardly mattered as another roll out would follow very shortly. I just learned and mastered the bare minimum and got away with it until I retired. Four months before I retired a place on a course I had, for 6 years kept applying for, finally came along. Although it was nothing to do with my current role but was credits towards an MSc which I had been expecting to study (and never did) I attended it. I have never been more relaxed on a course with homework and an exam. I passed it but suspect I had the lowest marks. The certificate etc. was posted to me at home after I retired. This rambling response is basically saying, don't worry about not "getting" all new technology, you will find work arounds both at home and in the workplace, we all do.

I also think some people are more able to adapt to tech. We are not all the same.

Its not dementia its lack of proper training.some people need to see things done practically, some can read instructions and follow.
In my last job I trained the new staff on the system. I sat beside them and for 3 days I worked and they listened in.then they did the typing for me then when confident I turned it over and it was my turn to listen till they had it confidently.
Some picked up fast some didn't, but in the end all managed.

I think new technologies have been coming thick and fast, and then even faster for approx the last twenty years.

Even the experts seem to be increasingly worried that Artificial Intelligence is getting too powerful to control.

Lifting the lid of Pandora's Box, I suppose.

I don’t think it’s anything to do with dementia!
I am fine if I’m actually shown how to do things but trying to understand instructions just doesn’t work for me, YouTube videos can be quite helpful.
Sometimes I think I go into a bit of a panic before I try something new which doesn’t help either, but usually if I persevere I can manage most things - just takes longer as you get older, for me anyway.

I can learn a new system the problem I have is there are so many systems that I need infrequently keeping up with them all gets time consuming