To be surprised a woman in her 30s can't use a computer?

[ZenGardener]

I'm on the PTA at DS's pre-school. A woman was asked to be secretary so she would write up meeting minutes and make notices. She says she cannot use a computer so it has been agreed that she will write everything by hand.

I was shocked by this. She can email from her phone so surely typing a document isn't that hard? I really wanted to suggest that she use this as an opportunity to learn but obviously didn't.

She's a nice, normal, middle-class woman in her mid-thirties (I guess).

I just was utterly bewildered by it. Is it common? Perhaps it is? I just can't think of anyone who can't use a computer. It's so easy.

I work with a couple of people who can't use a computer and still write everything down. One is in her 30s. Not everyone can or wants to.

Well yes and no...

I'm 37 and when I was at school computers were one room only, we didn't ge taught to use them as routine. I reckon it's perfectly possible depending on what you do as a job to be a similar age and not ever have learned. Especially as now everyone does everything on their smartphone.

There are a lot of young people leaving school who canfacebook on their phone but not send an attachment with an email, etc. as well.

I am 38, I missed computers at school by a couple of years, i then worked in retail so never needed to use a computer, if i hadn't been so bored on maternity leave i might never have learnt to use a computer either. maybe the woman is like me and computers just managed to pass her by slightly?

Of course she can, a smartphone is a handheld computer, she is already using one. Either she doesnt want to, cant be arsed, or enjoys that aw shucks damsel thing.

Im surprised by how many people ie my ILs cant work one efficiently, but not come accross it in someone so young. Did she not go to uni? I left school fairly unequipped but had to learn at uni. Im 33.

My H couldn't use a computer when I met him 8 years ago. He was born in 81.
I am older than him 4 years and learned as a teen.
He can use ipad and iphone now but he would struggle with key boards and doing general stuff on the net out of his comfort zone.
But he didnt have a great education nor interested parents. And is quite lady back about learning too.

That's rubbish beer, it's completely different and a lot of people get totally flummoxed.

I'm about to turn 42, and when I was at school, there was one BBC Micro computer, which only the A-level maths girls got to use. We learnt to type on manual typewriters, and you couldn't move on to an electric until you had at least 30wpm and over 95% accuracy. My sister, 4 years behind me did learn word processing on an actual computer, which would have been about 1992.

So I can see that anyone who's about mid-30s or older might well have just missed the computer boat.

(I work in IT and am quite capable of using computers from installing hardware to configuring the operating system and even some programming. I still write notes by hand, as I take things in better that way - but I do tend to type them up afterwards.)

I am perfectly competent on a pc (used all day at work), however I dont own a computer that has Word or similar on it. Maybe its cant in a practical sense rather than a physically incapable sense?

Redexpat the majority still don't go to university and even if she did she could just be old enough to have submitted her essays handwritten

I'm 37. Also missed computers by a couple of years - when I was at Uni we submitted handwritten stuff

I am reasonably competent with basics now but yes, I can see it's entirely possible.

Oh trust me, i used to work for an IT support company. No one could use a bloody computer.
Really basic stuff too and all ages from 18 to 80. There seems to be a distinct lack of common sense when it comes to computers.

It's maybe more the typing than the computer.

My husband is 34 and cannot use a computer to type up documents, I have to do it for him. He can just about use google and only because I taught him. I can use the computer but wouldn't know how to email from a smart phone!

How is it rubbish? A smartphone IS a computer. Thats not my opinion, thats what it actually is.
She goes on to the internet, writes ahd sends an email, presumablycan do more than that. She IS using a computer.
Anyone who can do that can also use a pc or laptop or a tablet. If they CHOOSE TO.

It's not the same though! No mouse for starters.

Their is no mouse on a laptop or tablet either, but you switch between them. All you need is a bit of interest and a bit of effort. She is already using a computer.

Chances are it's not the computer that she cannot use, but office. Some people believe it's really complicated to use. At work, we have people younger that me who are incapable to use office and need to be shown.

I am surprised though at people on here saying at school they missed IT. I am the same age and did ict. Although don't think it was called that then.

That would surprise me. I'm 35 and we had computers at school although we didn't do that much IT. I did all my uni work on computers. I'm also surprised she never had a laptop before smart phones came out. It would take me much longer to handwrite everything.

She could probably type her minutes on the phone.

I'm 37. Also missed computers by a couple of years - when I was at Uni we submitted handwritten stuff

I'm 39 and I used a computer at Uni. We had them in the library and I had my own in my final year, but I had a word processor before that which was like a typewriter. I was online in 1996, it was about me and 3 other people though!

And I did an ICT GCSE and that was 1991.

I'm 47 and used computers at school. I did "o" level computer studies, not everyone did though. I have been using computers in the workplace since 1987, both for word processing and scientific systems, so I don't think it's an age thing as such. If you don't work with them you just might not develop the skills or interest.

I'm 42. My school didn't have computers at all and I didn't use them at uni until I had to type up my dissertation. We had a special tutorial for it.