AIBU to expect the majority of adults to use technology?

[gdaysport]

The majority of UK households will have had the internet in some form for the last 20 years. We have had smartphones which have been common for at least 15 years.

AIBU to expect most adults to be able to use the internet etc to navigate the world by now?

For example, living in zone 4 London with frequent bus services, at least a few times a week there will be a bewildered adult asking the bus driver where they need to get off, if the bus (with the massive sign on front saying 'Woolwich' goes to Woolwich, or the train station. You can use google maps, TFL app, bus apps, all which tell you which way to go.

Bus drivers of course, rarely give a shiny shit and I normally step in to help and tell people where they need to go, but I just don't understand the frequency in which I need to do this?

I even extend this criticism to my own parents who have such poor technological literacy they panic at the very idea of checking what time a train leaves.

At a recent hospital stay, two women on the ward in their mid 50s with me, both of their families encouraged them to borrow and use ipads so they could watch their soaps etc to pass the time but they batted them away saying they cant use them. They would have been in their 30s when ipads were introduced. So instead they would just sit bored staring at a wall rather than be shown how to use the app.

Technology is only going to become more ingrained in our lives, should we not be encouraging people to become sufficient in using it, rather than being cut off from the world? Stranded at bus stops as they dont know where to go, not knowing how to book a GP appointment online which is quicker etc.

Preparing to be flamed!

Whilst you're not wrong in a way, you do sound like a busy body.

I live in London and most drivers are only to happy to actually answer questions like that from passengers.

Our local bus service app is always broken.

I mean you're not wrong, but I have been trying to teach my mother (78) to use a smartphone for the last 5 years and she still can't.

My 96 yo FIL is a wizz at technology. The only thing holding him back is his eyesight. He's better than my husband who is 65 🤣

Lol maybe! Perhaps in the future, I will just let them get on with it. Perhaps eventually they will find their way home.

Thats amazing!

It may be somewhat baffling but a lot of times it's a right faff switching between 10 apps to get a small task done, the unexpected Update, the login not working, no signal, low battery etc etc.
I have no idea what my 6 weeks old car can do (same for my previous 3 cars), other than I can work out how to get it to play music from my phone. Everything else just happens. If I change anything by mistake, I have no idea how to change it back. Satnav can be a right nonsense. I could probably get a lot more out of it but I honestly can't be bothered. It drives, that's all I need.

And maybe some people don't actually enjoy using iPads for entertainment while getting bored. It doesn't make any difference to anyone!

I use all the current tech as much as possible the best way I can manage and it offers great convenience and speed (when it works as expected!) but I don't care one bit if others have resisted it.
Also, you have to appreciate that people's brains work differently. If someone never had any use or interest in such technology by the time they got to, say 30 years of age, they simply can't understand it all or they don't have the patience or inclination to try. Whilst they can still navigate an otherwise fulfilling life.

Also 'intuitive' is all nonsense in practice.

You are being ageist. People who have grown up with technology surrounding them are far more likely to have an affinity with it than people who grew up with pen, paper, books etc
Furthermore, people of a certain demographic, for example women aged 60+ are less likely to have been offered training in IT to bridge this gap. How do I know this? I am a woman in my 60s who struggles to use IT. I have recently joined a local class to learn some of the basics and it is populated with women my age & older. I suspect men of this age have kept up to date with IT through work. Women were more likely to have taken maternity leave & gone back to work part-time, or been SAHM when the use of computers and associated technology became widespread.

"For example, living in zone 4 London with frequent bus services, at least a few times a week there will be a bewildered adult asking the bus driver where they need to get off, if the bus (with the massive sign on front saying 'Woolwich' goes to Woolwich, or the train station. You can use google maps, TFL app, bus apps, all which tell you which way to go."

And if you're partially sighted, have literacy difficulties, have begun to suffer dementia or other cognitive issues, suffer from anxiety...

Unfortunately for those with certain disabilities can't use most of these apps and websites.
There's also many more luddites around than you would think.
As for your Ipad comment they were (and still are) ridiculously expensive so many people didn't get 1, if they did get an android tablet and learn to use it many more won't be comfortable with an Ipad.
I won't go into the useless waste of time that our local bus app is or how often the bus has the wrong destination on it because its "broken"

Not about age necessarily - this week there was a woman in her very early 30s freaking out because she was on the wrong bus and didnt know how to get back to where she needed to be.

My parents (in their 80s) get flustered if something goes wrong with technology-and I’ve had panicked calls to sort out iPads and iPhones, but they use them well otherwise. They can use the local parking app but would probably get stressed having to download a different one if they went anywhere else and would much rather pay using coins.

Otherwise, I don’t know anyone really who can’t use an iPad, certainly not people in the 50s. I would imagine they are still working so find that surprising unless they have some additional needs.

And obviously I know there will be plenty of people who are unable to use technology because of disabilities etc, That's why I said the majority, and not ALL.

I think the issue is in the generalisations...yes most people have smartphones and wifi at home, but not all do. There are always outliers. I work in a field related to developing tech solutions for healthcare, like apps to track how you are doing with symptoms and medication etc. When we talk to potential users, the questions they raise often relate to access: what if a person is visually impaired and doesn't effectively use their smartphone, what if a person is on a very restricted data plan and has no money to top up, or has nowhere to sensibly charge their phone, what if a person is also struggling with literacy or is not a first language English speaker.

There are a lot of things that can stand in the way of some people having a smooth and easy experience using technology. It's brilliant, and I expect the gap to narrow over the next decade or so, but it isn't simple and easily accessible for everybody.

Well I am in my 60s and I absolutely do know people who struggle with tech. I can and do use it - I am a whizz at online shopping!! - but it doesn't come entirely naturally? I use spreadsheets/Sharepoint etc for work but it's a PITA.

My generation wasn't reared with it, unlike my kids. Sometimes I just CBA, but then I am someone who doesn't have the patience to read instructions. I am shit with Google maps but I am shit at map reading full stop.

I think most people give it a go though. I was impressed by my 90 year old auntie FaceTiming.

Leave people be to do what they are comfortable with, and don't patronise them!

Another point to make, those born at a time when tech was already established are, of course, used to it. It is a 'language' and a tool they understand and can use.
But, most importantly, they are never ever worried about breaking something, causing a malfunction.
Previous generations are a bit more reticent at times because they know full well, breaking something will possibly require specialist help or full replacement and , in most cases, this is not a negligible expense. A bit more cautious if you like.

It’s not unreasonable. I think often a contributing factor is poor motivation and learned helplessness. It’s not necessarily as ageist thing l don’t think. My parents and in-laws are early 70’s and can negotiate most things. Husbands grandma is nearly 90 and she’s technologically savvy -can probably operate Teams better than my boss who is mid 50’s 🤣 Yet at work my husband regularly meets people mid 40’s who struggle with technology basics

Yes, you probably should.

it’s not like you’re describing situations where people have come directly to you for help, you’ve took it upon yourself to help out and then get the hump over it. Clearly these people have enough about them to know where it’s appropriate to direct their query, they haven’t sought to impose themselves on you.

Same with the ladies in hospital, their choice was not really proportionate for you to have held onto as an example.

There may be several reasons why adults can't get this information without asking. Maybe some people like to talk to others, maybe they don't have a smartphone, maybe they don't have internet connection/credit on smartphones they do have, maybe they run out of battery. The ipads came out 30 years ago but I could only afford one in 2015. They are not exactly cheap/were cheap when they first came round. Maybe the "women in their 50s" who were offered ipads "to watch their soaps", actually had other options besides watching a soap or staring at the wall that they were more interested in, like talking, reading, having quiet time...
When I drive with my partner, he stops me from using sat nav and asks me to look at road signs. He says that I should not rely on technology to move around, I should learn the routes because I may find myself in the situation where technology won't be available and I need to be able to find my way out. We are both confident with technology but he has a bloody good point (as much as I hate driving without satnav).

I've never had an ipad either because of expense. I also know that I would not be against someone giving me a quick demo on how to use it? I think there is a big fear factor for some people that they assume they wont understand it so do not try.

I would also imagine, although I don't have data, but would imagine that by and large, the demographic mix of people travelling on buses probably contains a higher proportion of people who might find it challenging to fully access all that tech has to offer.

The mobile signal here is useless for speech, let alone anything to do with the internet. I can only do emails and webby stuff at home on Wi-Fi so many apps are useless. And many people have not had the internet for 20 years.

Not my experience at all, I work with a lot of elderly people and the vast majority (o can think of only one exception) use smartphones, tablets and laptops. Some are in their 90's and work them better than me! I'm the age of the ladies you describe in hospital op and I certainly do use an iPad and I certainly don't watch soaps! Maybe they were a lot older than you thought

That is actually an excellent point - we should still be teaching skills such as map reading because should we lose the internet tomorrow, can we trust people also have the skills to go about their day to day lives? Handwriting, map reading, even being able to hold face to face conversations because we are so used to socialising online.....