OAP ageist TV

I love technology, but I draw the line at Alexa

Haha.ive not seen the meme Exalted Wombat(my sons show me 'memes' all the time, 1 of thems friend has even put my son into 'star' in one)but i laughed so much when i bought an 'old style' retro dial telephone for our landline- i showed it to them and explained we used to dial the number on these to make calls when i was their ages- they confidently dialled the number and then i pointed out you have to pick up the handset first(!) - hilarious!

We've not got Alexa(i think id spend too much time contradicting her) but my sons have SIRI on their iphones and some of the answers she gives are hilarious!

Well like * glammgramma*I to will don my tin hat and duck because I thought it was hilarious and I virtually wet myself laughing not at the idiot preening OAPs but at the very clever, know it well, narrator woman who just creased me up with her saucy remarks.

I also have a printer that refuses to work until i literally shout "PRINT THEN!" at it.

Awful programme. Probably used to having people who do those things for them.

What's interesting about society today is that we are all connected but disconnected physically.
And I think that disconnect affords people the opportunity to be less kind.
I remember the days of people stopping by to chat, knowing store clerks by name, love letters, birthday cards, etc.
And now it's all in an email or an app or a machine at the store, and it is in my opinion a social catastrophe.
And besides the social interaction being made extinct, privacy is also gone. Go home and talk to a machine now think about all of that.
And they want to make fun of us LOL

My late uncle was at the pioneering start to computing (his first job i think,after leaving college) many decades ago, back in late 50's i think?(i wasnt born then,but my late mum used to speak of it)So he built a tv for his mum,and a pc for himself!He was a very clever man, And he quickly became their youngest manager in the workforce.if he had still been around today he would have put a lot to shame

Well, I thought it was very funny.
I also think they were acting up a bit.

I am 73 years old and writing this on my iPad.
I don’t want, or need an Alexa.

Where have people’s sense of humour gone to?

I felt old and stupid when I was booking my granddaughter into a play club. They used to have manual check in but had recently changed. Well a young lady was showing me how to access it. I have worked with computers since they were the size of a room back in the 1970’s. So I have kept up with IT for what I need. I have a few modern items and find them useful. My screen tapping and keyboard usage were actually faster than hers I kept cool and let her be helpful, there maybe some that needed her help I did wonder how old I must look

I did not see the programme bit it sound like if i had i would have turned off. Very proud when my son who ran free weekly session for silver surfers. He said he expected people of his grans age but many were mid to late fifties and just had never had opportunity to learn. He taught them how to send emails, attach photos, shop on line including internet safety, comparison sights, PowerPoint presentation and spread sheets'.

Being referred to as an OAP is in itself offensive (Old Age Pensioner) ! Senior Citizen is much more respectful.

I did not see the programme but I hate it that just because you are old people think you are incompetent. Had a hearing test at a well known opticians. Person kept calling me dear and when I mentioned the internet could not believe I could use a computer at my age. Needless to say that they did not get my custom.
I don’t use the self service tills because I cannot get off my scooter and stand and also the check out ladies at my local Sainsburys, Poundland etc. have got to know me and I them and they are helpful in helping me to pack my goods.

My friend (we are mid 60s) has a very senior world wide role managing the networks for some very high profile businesses and had been doing this job for many years. She is excellent at her job (headhunted) but can't get round some apps on her phone that I find easy, she also couldn't fathom out which way the batteries went in her camera so some technology can confuse some. I'm OK with most but not good if things go wrong that's where my kids are useful but I'm more practical. I think the older generation have the best of both worlds we grew up in simpler times but also have witnessed such wonderful developments over the years. Whilst I hate that many little children are entertained with technology rather than interaction from their parents/siblings the fact I can contact/"speak" to my friends abroad anytime, keep on top of my accounts at times to suit me, look up patterns/recipes at touch of a screen makes me appreciate their usefulness.

Totally agree that they don't live in the real world, like us.They've not had "normal" lives.But it's vital to keep up with technology, even if you're not interested,as that's how the world is now, whether we like it or not. 13 years ago I had never even turned a computer on and had only a basic mobile phone.My grandson, 7 at the time, showed me how it switched on and away I went. I taught myself everything about the internet.It opens up the world to us,I love being connected. But the most amusing part of the programme for me was when the 3 were shown sitting on a bench in my seaside town!

*NOT had normal lives

For some reason there seems to be a trend in comedians to mock old people. Basically, I think it's become politically incorrect to mock certain groups, foreigners, women, disabled, homosexuals to name but a few, one of the few groups left that they can use are old people. I hate the term 'silver surfers', to me it separates older people from the rest of society. Incidentally, I agree with those who don't use automatic checkouts. Just another ploy by supermarkets to cut done on jobs.

It's funny (peculiar) how ageism is the one quite acceptable "ism" in the media. I'm quite tech savvy and my mother, at 84, can teach me a thing or two about it. I do agree about cash tills. I can use the automated ones perfectly well but I generally don't on principle.

We have a friend who will be 100 years old in June. She is a wizard with her i-pad, she texts with her mobile phone and she loves technology.

glammanana I totally agree - I am very tired of seeing supermarkets cut down on staff to save money to give to their shareholders, and then complain that they have fewer shoppers!

Watched the program, seemed to be over acted and set up, especially the electric car.
Don't use the self service tills if I have alcohol as you have to wait for someone to verify your over 18.

I didn't watch it because, although I used to find them quite amusing, I'm a bit bored with the "grumpy old"- type programmes now.

However, I have to admit that I am not very interested in technology and have not bothered to learn much about mobile phones, computers, etc. If that makes me "lazy" or a "dinosaur" then so be it but I don't feel as if I am. I'm just not particularly interested in it and I think a lot of the new technology will be, and is being, misused. It is already alienating people from one another and disabling them. The programme about Huawei and 5G the other night spoke of all the wonderful things that are in the pipeline - people will not have to switch on lights, machines will activate themselves and talk to each other, etc, etc. It seems to me that we will become so dependent on this technology that we will be left very vulnerable.

Oh for goodness sake, they were being paid for being silly. I'm 71 soon to be 70... I have Alexa yes she gets on my t.. nerves and also keeps me informed, pills hospital apts etc. I use it for keeping me on time etc. Not for recipes I've got beautiful books for that so much more information in books, Alexa usually says Hmm I'm not sure about that. I ignore her mostly, my DH adores her my DGS does too, but she only talks about the weather or silly jokes to them. No technologies are nowhere near useful just yet, but, they do keep us talking.

Have to confess I found it somewhat disappointing in content. I do believe there was scope for some real in depth humour there but somebody missed the boat. Our generation tends to be able to laugh at ourselves and maybe particularly in this arena where many of us settle for 'need to know' level rather than deep understanding or a need to keep up with whatever's new on the market. I speak for myself, of course, and not all you whizz kids out there!

Exactly Kim ‘somebody missed the boat’ - most of us don’t mind laughing at ourselves...and there have been some excellent programmes in the past such as the Grumpy Olds, One Foot in the Grave, Last of the Summer Wine.

But this.....????