Do emigres from the UK imagine the UK is stuck in the dark ages?

livingunderskirt · 2023-10-03T14:41:36+00:00

I have quite a few relatives who have moved overseas to places like Australia, Canada and Denmark. Something that I notice when they visit is that they seem to assume that in the UK we are stuck in the dark ages, I had one relative from Australia try to explain to me recently what an ipad is and does, when I have my own ipad. My aunt who now lives in Denmark tells me about how in Denmark they are very advanced with recycling much more so than the UK because they have special bins for paper and glass/plastic. We have all that too but at the time we had food waste recycling too and they didn't. Lots of things like that, like being surprised to learn we Malaysian, Korean, Sri Lankan restaurants locally and not just Chips or Chinese places or that we have podcasts and smart watches. Its not a big deal it doesn't wind me up or anything but I do wonder why this is? I suppose they might assume that the UK has stayed the same since they left in the 80s or 90s. I just think it's kind of odd. I have lived overseas myself and never felt this way and I sort of expect lifestyles / tech to be similar all over the developed world at this point. I just wondered if anyone else has noticed this?

MrsS0fa · 03/10/2023 15:50

Hahaha yes I have absolutely noticed this! I think Brexit has understandably worsened perceptions of the UK but this was a thing long before then among expats. I live in the UK but went to a BBQ at a British friend's house in the Netherlands and listened to her (ex pat British) friends telling me about a version of the UK that I barely even remember from childhood (can't get anything to eat on a Sunday afternoon...that kind of thing!)

Ponderingwindow · 03/10/2023 15:53

As an outsider, I do get the sense that technology came a bit late to the UK. I would never expect someone in their 60s or 70s to not be tech savvy and to have a smartphone and know how to use it to access anything and everything, but I’ve seen on mumsnet again and again the idea that it is absolutely ridiculous to expect someone that age to be fully integrated into todays technology.

Original poster

livingunderskirt · 03/10/2023 15:54

@MrsS0fa Lol, yes that does sound very familiar, I wonder why it is? I suppose Brexit hasn't helped much but they seem to think we are still stuck in the 1950's in terms of lifestyle and technology!

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Original poster

livingunderskirt · 03/10/2023 15:59

@Ponderingwindow I suppose it depends where you are from some countries were perhaps early adopters but most of the seniors I know in the UK are tech savvy enough to use ipads, smartphones etc. We weren't slower than average for a wealthy western country to adopt and integrate technology.

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Raincloudsonasunnyday · 03/10/2023 16:00

assume that the UK has stayed the same since they left in the 80s or 90s

This is exactly what it is for a lot of people. It’s a terribly narrow minded and uninformed perspective.

mynameiscalypso · 03/10/2023 16:03

Ponderingwindow · 03/10/2023 15:53

As an outsider, I do get the sense that technology came a bit late to the UK. I would never expect someone in their 60s or 70s to not be tech savvy and to have a smartphone and know how to use it to access anything and everything, but I’ve seen on mumsnet again and again the idea that it is absolutely ridiculous to expect someone that age to be fully integrated into todays technology.

I think it's more that ageism is rampant on MN. In reality, the UK has a thriving tech industry and most people I know in their 70s and 80s are avid users of new technology. The UK has also generally been one of the global leaders in the widespread adoption of digital services like online shopping/banking.

toadasoda · 03/10/2023 16:04

I'm Irish and we used to get this a lot, mostly from USA emigrants but in fairness there was a time when we were quite far 'behind' a lot of places including UK. I'm genuinely surprised people have that impression of the UK!!! It's just a form of ignorance, I'd make a point of telling them they are wrong. I can't understand why a person would assume the place they left didn't progress at all, it's a rather stupid perception really.

beguilingeyes · 03/10/2023 16:07

Ponderingwindow · 03/10/2023 15:53

As an outsider, I do get the sense that technology came a bit late to the UK. I would never expect someone in their 60s or 70s to not be tech savvy and to have a smartphone and know how to use it to access anything and everything, but I’ve seen on mumsnet again and again the idea that it is absolutely ridiculous to expect someone that age to be fully integrated into todays technology.

Erm.. you know the world wide web was invented by an Englishman right?
We were using contactless technology long after the US was still getting used to chip and pin.
I'm 62 and not quite in my storage yet.

Abra1t · 03/10/2023 16:07

Americans were far slower to universally adopt mobile phones than we were. They still seem to use cheques more than we do here.

Countries like Germany still seem less willing to take payment by card or mobile than in cash. French websites seem very clunky in comparison to ours.

beguilingeyes · 03/10/2023 16:07

dotage.
All smartphoned up..thanks very much.

Abra1t · 03/10/2023 16:07

beguilingeyes · 03/10/2023 16:07

Erm.. you know the world wide web was invented by an Englishman right?
We were using contactless technology long after the US was still getting used to chip and pin.
I'm 62 and not quite in my storage yet.

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And that would be cloud storage, too.

YorkieTheRabbit · 03/10/2023 16:10

I live in the UK and we still don’t have a food waste collection or glass. We have a general waste and recycling bin for cardboard, paper and tins. There’s also a garden bin which is an extra cost.
The local shops, apart from the co op still close at Saturday lunchtime. We are still in the dark ages.

Original poster

livingunderskirt · 03/10/2023 16:14

YorkieTheRabbit · 03/10/2023 16:10

I live in the UK and we still don’t have a food waste collection or glass. We have a general waste and recycling bin for cardboard, paper and tins. There’s also a garden bin which is an extra cost.
The local shops, apart from the co op still close at Saturday lunchtime. We are still in the dark ages.

Not where I am in the UK and I don't even live in a large city, even my local shop is open till 8pm on a saturday and till 4pm on a sunday.

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Tartareistasty · 03/10/2023 16:14

Re reacycling. Imho UK is behind quite a few. Immigrant to and emigrant from.
Not everyone has all recycling bins.
What some places outside UK (haven't seen it where I lived in UK) have is separate bins in the area /street rather than having x bins by the house. We had 3 in uk-general, recycling (and that was quite limited actually because each council apparently recycles different things) and garden waste. No big recycling bins in the area to go to unless you drive to skip few miles away.
Also taking back bottles and giving deposit back in shops.

I think Wales has different recycling regs and schemes than the rest of the UK as well

SnowflakeCity · 03/10/2023 16:16

toadasoda · 03/10/2023 16:04

I'm Irish and we used to get this a lot, mostly from USA emigrants but in fairness there was a time when we were quite far 'behind' a lot of places including UK. I'm genuinely surprised people have that impression of the UK!!! It's just a form of ignorance, I'd make a point of telling them they are wrong. I can't understand why a person would assume the place they left didn't progress at all, it's a rather stupid perception really.

I'm in Ireland too and my UK relatives think we live in the dark ages over here. Most of them have been over here which makes it even weirder. Maybe it's just a case of everyone thinking where they live/how they do things is the best?

Davros · 03/10/2023 16:16

I'm in London zone 2 and we do have on-street large recycling bins as well as our own ones for each home. The recycling centre is close and very easy to use

BlueRabbitYellow · 03/10/2023 16:17

It may be their memories of the UK are frozen in the time they left? Or an ego thing? I left my home town 20 years ago and I was surprised when I went back that they were driving around in modern cars 😳

The ego thing; they've travelled and so know so much more than the ones who stayed behind?

SummerCycling · 03/10/2023 16:18

Two Dutch people told me a couple of years ago and in all seriousness that they like England despite the fact it's impossible to find any vegetables to eat anywhere.

I have wondered ever since how they even thought that was possible - where I live there are a million fruit and veg stores with all the produce outside next to the road / pavement. Open 7 days a week.

technology: South Korea is light years ahead of us with stuff like mobile networks etc etc etc but Western Europe certainly isn't. I'd say the opposite really.

maddiemookins16mum · 03/10/2023 16:18

Ponderingwindow · 03/10/2023 15:53

As an outsider, I do get the sense that technology came a bit late to the UK. I would never expect someone in their 60s or 70s to not be tech savvy and to have a smartphone and know how to use it to access anything and everything, but I’ve seen on mumsnet again and again the idea that it is absolutely ridiculous to expect someone that age to be fully integrated into todays technology.

But there’s a big difference between someone say (60 - me next year) and someone in their late 70s for instance.
I’m very tech savvy, online everything, a wizz on excel, etc, but my neighbour who is 77 struggles with it all.

Original poster

livingunderskirt · 03/10/2023 16:18

Tartareistasty · 03/10/2023 16:14

Re reacycling. Imho UK is behind quite a few. Immigrant to and emigrant from.
Not everyone has all recycling bins.
What some places outside UK (haven't seen it where I lived in UK) have is separate bins in the area /street rather than having x bins by the house. We had 3 in uk-general, recycling (and that was quite limited actually because each council apparently recycles different things) and garden waste. No big recycling bins in the area to go to unless you drive to skip few miles away.
Also taking back bottles and giving deposit back in shops.

I think Wales has different recycling regs and schemes than the rest of the UK as well

I'm in Scotland, perhaps we are more advanced than the rest of the UK 😜we have had separate bins at the house and food waste collection for 10 years now.

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TheThingIsYeah · 03/10/2023 16:20

I think it's a bit odd when people emigrate and then obsess about what's going on in the UK. I know someone who moved to NZ years ago but seems to relish the opportunity to bring up perceived problems with the UK. Why? Apart from all the nonsense St Jacinda came out with during COVID, what happens in a country on the other side of the world is of little concern to me.

Maybe it's borne out of a sense of regret and longing - not that they would admit it - to back living in the UK (for all its faults)

Tartareistasty · 03/10/2023 16:21

livingunderskirt · 03/10/2023 16:18

I'm in Scotland, perhaps we are more advanced than the rest of the UK 😜we have had separate bins at the house and food waste collection for 10 years now.

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You probs are then! Out collections went to biweekly for bins anyway. Imagine they had more to collect🙄

Talkimg about bins, I wish public would learn to use them in public spaces😑 So much rubbish everywhere

Original poster

livingunderskirt · 03/10/2023 16:22

@SummerCycling OMG yes, I have had this too, like we only eat onions and potato's here, sure some people stick to a limited diet but at my local supermarket I can buy pretty much any vegetable I fancy, mooli, okra, bok choi anything really. I do think some people look at us as if though a lens of preconceptions vs what is actually the reality in front of them.

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Tartareistasty · 03/10/2023 16:24

I think it's a bit odd when people emigrate and then obsess about what's going on in the UK

I've been out of my native country nearly 20 years, still interested in what's happening and read mews daily so I can join in on the bitching my family does on WhatsApp. Plus it's still one of my countries. I do send them memes when it goes sideways there. They send back some about the country I am/was in.
Once I followed live news when both governments were about to crash and burn on a same day. Now that was interesting and a meme mine...

Original poster

livingunderskirt · 03/10/2023 16:24

@TheThingIsYeah I have wondered if they do tend to play up the worst of the culture or what they remember because it might sooth their feelings of homesickness? Not that I think they regret their move but I missed life here a lot when I lived overseas in the past, its only natural.

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