Does anyone else have really old fashioned parents?

[Spoldge45]

My mum & dad are both 71, so not that old, but honestly, I feel as tho they are in their mid-eighties. They dont seem to have embraced anything post 1995.

They still take their camera film to the shop to be developed
They don't use the internet/have never brought anything online.
They don't have mobile phones (even tho not using one has caused issues in the past like last year when my mum fell over whilst out walking, & she was badly injured but had no way of contacting anyone. so had to wait to be found by a passer-by)

I'm just curious to see if this is so rare or if others have parents in a similar situation, who just refuse to embrace any form of technology.

My uncle gave my mum a mobile, but she wont use it. We brought them a tablet a few Christmases ago & spent ages showing them how to use it, but it just gathers dust.

As they are getting older I feel technology could be really useful to them. I worry about my mum going out alone without a phone as she has some health problems & is very unsteady on her feet, but despite my best efforts she wont use a mobile.

Is anyone else in a similar situation & do you have any tips? Thanks x

I think it is rare. My gran is in her 80s and chats to her friends on whatsapp!

My parents are in their early seventies, and not like this at all. Every time I send my dad a picture of my kids, he returns an edited version, and my mum still works part-time as an academic, so is as good with tech as the average undergraduate.

Before the pandemic some libraries offered computer lessons to older people, do you think they would be up for going to something like that so that they can learn it isn't scary?

I am the same age but the complete opposite of your parents. My DH and myself still ski.
My DD is moving house and I was up a ladder changing light fittings today. I do my own decorating and have all the gadgets iPads Mac book, going. If I want to do something, I just do it. It doesn’t occur to me not to because of my age.

Not to derail a thread but I did smile at a PP talking about a parent preferring BT. I recall people's default being buying electrical appliances at the Electricity Board shop and gas fires at the Gas Board shop. Early closing on Wednesday or Thursday. That said, a reasonable semi-detached house could be mortgaged on a single bread winner's salary from a supermarket.

PIL are like this, it's like they got to about 1995 and thought that's it, we're going no further!

They do have a (one between them) Nokia type phone which they keep switched off at all times 'to save the battery.' Wouldn't have anything like a Sat Nav so can't go very far as they 'don't know where it is.' Always go to the same place on holiday, never try anything new. It really restricts them but it seems they just don't want to embrace modern life. It's hard work!

My parents are in their 70’s and are totally computer literate. They both have iPads, laptops and mum has a Jew iPhone, dad prefers android but changes his phone every 5 minutes. The only thing dad wanted for his birthday was wireless headphones. They are as independent and as up to date with everything - Amazon, Netflix, zoom, etc as an 18 year old

no it's not normal,
my dad 70something can still build computers and do coding. His flat is unbelievably wire up even i don't understand how it all works, he can control his desktop(in another room) from his telly in living room, watches films on TV streamed from pirate sites whilst sitting in his comfy chair. plays all his music from mp3s(he likes to actually own his music) from the computer through an amp and speakers, with all the songs History and words, album cover on the tv. loves his Netflix and prime tv.

My techy DC will ring him for advice it he hits a real head scratcher of a problem with his software/hardware.

Mum 70something has a laptop a website for her business, a smart phone and tablet.

Don’t despair OP. At 70 my mum was the same. She still is to a certain extent, like PPs she won’t get prescriptions posted and gets a bus to town to go to the bank to find out her balance. For her 80th my DB bought her a tablet and stayed a few days to teach her how to use it. She loves it now and is on it every day to read the news (previously used teletext ) and play sudoku. And after a heart scare 2 months ago which she ended up in A&E she has accepted a smart phone from me and texts me every night as she is widowed. And we have installed Netflix which she loves. So it’s not too late

My MiL is in her 50’s and can use her mobile to text, call, take a picture and, just about, check her emails.
She can’t use a computer.
All banking is done in person, anything to do with bills is done over the phone.
She’s just sold her house at the same time as us; I thought DH was going to have a stroke having to deal with two lots of solicitors etc

I've two very different experiences with similar ages, my father is his late 70's, has a more up to date phone than me, the latest Samsung tablet and while in hospital for a few weeks recently he face timed us regularly, rang numerous times a day and watsapp'd us horrible surgery pictures!! He also has high speed broadband, Netflix, loves youtube for old shows from years ago and goes to a large electronic store every few months to print photos from his digital camera having worked out its cheaper and better quality than printing at home, but my mil who is only a couple of years older is a bloody nightmare, has two ancient mobile phones,one is a flip phone so that's kept in her handbag (no fear of it self dialling) and the other is by her bed, neither are ever used, she has a landline in the kitchen, hallway and all bedrooms but doesn't know and won't learn to check messages or missed calls. She has a tiny portable TV that is always on but only as background noise because its so small it's hard to see, she will not use an ATM or a card to pay for anything, can't understand why some places won't take cheques any more, also has a camera c/w film to be sent away for developing, single mothers are disgraceful yet every child in her estate loves her and she sits chatting to them for hours, she only ever drove within a 20 mile radius of her house even when her children where young, in the 70's when she'd have been in her 40's she wouldn't press record on the video recorder because 'she'd never be able to work that thing', recently I wanted to get her an airfryer thought it'd be handy instead of heating an entire oven but no way would she let me show her mine and how to use it, she is determined to be as dependent as she possibly can and its frustrating. She still collects her pension in cash and is a walking target every week as a result, the post office staff have even asked her to have it paid in to an account and use a card but no way she'd even consider it. She was in hospital recently and it really struck us how different her experience was from my father, he was in constant contact, when his surgeon came round my father rang me, put the phone on speaker and he felt better knowing I was involved, he stayed in touch with the gc and could watch whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, just stuck in a set of earphones and pressed play, my mil on the other hand didn't even bring her phone with her, we sent it in afterwards and she had to get a staff member to call us using it and then she cried because she wasn't getting enough attention!! She wouldn't answer if we called. I wish she'd at least try.

My mum is the same. She has never used the internet. Uses cash and cheques only. Catches the bus to her nearest big town to sort out her insurance face to face.

She’s only 75 and intelligent. She’s missing out on so much - especially during lockdown with no internet. Her exercise classes moved online and the family WhatsApp groups were busier than ever.

She missed / misses out on so much.

I find it very sad.

Not parents but my grandparents are in their 70s and definitely like this. My Nan does have a phone but it’s just a basic one and she has no idea how to do anything on it other than find a contact and call them. She was a teacher for about 40 years before she retired and part of the reason she wanted to retire was because technology was just too much for her. She took a few computer courses but still can barely switch one on, I tried to show her how to operate computers a fair few times in the past and she just couldn’t grasp it. Grandad refuses to have a phone full stop.

Neither of them will use an ATM either which is the weirdest thing, they don’t trust them so withdraw cash from the bank or post office…

DH’s Grandad is in his mid 80s and loves his iPad, he’s always on it.

gosh that doesn't sound normal to me at all. My parents would be in their mid 90s if alive but both had mobile phones and my mum did a computer course after my dad died when she was 80.

The mobile phone thing would be the most concerning to me as they get older - maybe just tackle that. Maybe hire a nice local young person to talk them through the use/possibilities. I think having family members teach you to use technology is like having a family member teach you to drive - fraught.

At 71 they are young. They are only 5 years older that Tim Berners Lee!

Not usual. My parents are around the same age, but both have mobile phones and use the internet.

However, it took WEEKS for them to get the hang of supermarket shopping on the internet (I did it for them for most of the first lockdown).

My father has had a mobile phone for quite a long time, but for the first few years he would only switch it on when he wanted to phone someone. Then he'd switch it off again...

My parents are late 60s/early 70s and reasonably computer literate - they shop/bank online, have smart phones, mum does language classes on Zoom etc. They don't really understand social media but tbh I'm 37 and don't really get some of the newer apps!

My in-laws are odd ones. FiL is 77, very good on his computer, uses Linux etc. But WILL NOT get a mobile or sat nav, even when it's pointed out to him how much it could help in certain situations. MiL has a basic smartphone and can WhatsApp but he just won't get involved. I don't get it.

still watch broadcast tv, use cd's/dvd's

I'm in my 40s and that's still very much me! I do watch and listen to things online as well, though.

I don't think it's lack of ability for most elderly people who reject it, it's lack of interest and seeing the need for it, as they've managed for so long without it, it obviously isn't necessary, they figure. As has been attested to here, there are plenty of older folk who do embrace it, but I think they have to actively want to.

It's so sad to know that, whilst young, fit, healthy people are doing things in a minute by pressing a few buttons, when they could easily drive into town and do it in half an hour if they really wanted to, elderly, frail people are taking a whole afternoon and really struggling to do the same thing the hard way.

That said, in all but a very few cases, television seems to be the one thing that most older people are happy to accept new technology and innovation in. I suppose they've always loved the telly and are really not willing to lose it (when the analogue signal was turned off etc.) - and many love the choice on multiple channels; but when it comes to gaining something that they could love rather than losing something they already do, the interest is just not there for many.

If I'm honest, at my age, I'm very happy to embrace new tech that I can see I'd find interesting/useful/helpful, but there's a lot that I just look at and think I seriously can't be bothered; plus, I do think there's a lot of tech for tech's sake out there. Then again, I'd say that, for me, it's definitely a lack of interest rather than a fear - and there's nothing I couldn't/wouldn't acquire and learn quite quickly, if I thought it would benefit me.

My 83 old dad loves his iPad and my 81 year old mum does shopping online. Dad loves his Facebook caravan club groups.

Mum won’t have a microwave indoors, but she will go out and use it in the caravan 🤣

My parents are no longer living but my Mum in particular was very old fashioned and did not embrace technology. She refused to have a microwave in her home. We tried to tell her my sister would plate her up a meal and she could just pop into microwave to heat but she insisted on heating over a pan of boiling water. She never understood the Sky box or VCR and thought she had taped programs but had not. when one of us popped in she always asked us to switch on a programme she liked. We showed her so many times but she could never remember how to use it after Dad died. She used this old twin tub washing machine for years before it broke and could not be repaired and then was forced to have automatic washing machine. Strangely she could use that. Sometimes it was a bonus though she made pastry from scratch and her pies and pasties were legendary.

Most is a lack of interest and losing confidence . They have had to really struggle Most of their life and see this as an easy solution

My parents are 79 & have mobiles, iPads, laptops - during the pandemic it’s been more useful than ever as they shop online, WhatsApp video call with friends & family. They use Spotify & have portable speakers, stream Netflix on their laptops..

I’d say your parents are unusual, especially as they are so young (relatively speaking) - email, mobiles & the internet have been around since they were early 40’s & most of their generation and older embraced it all (my Grandma, who has just turned 100 even had a mobile & used to send me texts emails until a few years ago when her sight deteriorated, I’ve got them all saved as they are lovely - she did always sign off with her name though & thought lol meant lots of love!!)..

No, I’d say that’s unusual. My parents are in their 70s and more “up” in the apps than I am.
Everything is done online.
Even GMIL and my beloved DAunt are 90 and still on WhatsApp.
I think some folk decide they won’t learn new tech especially if they’ve not got younger people to help them learn. It’s easy to stay in the past if everyone around you is mostly there too. And Tech is moving so fast that it’s easy to get left behind.

It sounds very unusual to me. I am in mid 60s and DH late 70s. We use all the technology, a lot. We had a computer in the 1970s, an Apple II E clone. Been through many since then. DH built his own computer.