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!

Oh absolutely. There was a thread here not long ago that went viral because a student asked on here if the planes fell out the side of the twin towers.

All the information in the world in our hands and we are not any smarter as a species.....

Absolutely this. I was horrified about 10 years ago to discover that 18 year old nephew couldn't do basic email, word processing etc.

And it goes back to my earlier point - tech literacy MUST be treated as seriously as we treat regular literacy becuase this IS the world they are living in.

DD1 went though a phase like this - struck us as odd what it seemed to be was less tech savvy school staff getting angry when the kids explored or played round - oddly seen similar attitude round maths with some teachers.

It happened less to younger kids I think as one was male and DD2 was taken to know things because he did - I don't know if we were particularly unlucky but we did encounter some very dated sexist attitudes in their primary years,

Then why are you taking it so personally?

You are not wrong OP. Some people don’t want to make the effort, but expect the rest of the world to slow down to accommodate them.

In the past I would have said YANBU.
However I have a friend who due to severe mental health issues is absolutely unable to use a computer. She'd dearly love to but it sends her into a tailspin. Even automatic checkouts are beyond her, not only does it severely impact her life but also she misses out on masses of opportunities for cheaper things online

OP, I can think of a few simple reasons.

Phone out of data, flat battery, poor signal, left their glasses at home, just too stressed to cope, being a complete stranger to the area, so directions don't actually mean anything to them. Are you always so intolerant?

If you'd been on our local train line recently, you'd know NOT to trust the announcements, but to find a station attendant and ask.

I spend my entire life on tech - it's my job - but I'd rather drill my own teeth than use Google maps. I've found an effective alternative that doesn't keep changing scale or telling me where the nearest McDonalds is.

Also OP, having had chemo for breast cancer, I can vouch for the fact that it can give you brain fog, and things that are perfectly clear to others, just won't gel. A bit like baby-brain but worse. Thankfully they both pass, but they really aren't helped by people like you.

People are different. Their brains work differently. I hope you are never ill !

I think this is the problem. Someone who can't use technology or just refuses to use it will then need someone else to do that stuff for them. Refusing to answer calls on Teams and put headphones on sounds like bloodymindedness.

I wouldn't expect most people to be able to write computer code but they should be able to do what their job requires of them.

With respect, disabled people are a different kettle of fish. Many would struggle with "non high tech" daily life, such as setting an old fashioned central heating timer, or driving an old fashioned car, or even setting an old fashioned VHS video recorder. It's no surprise that some disabled people (mental or physical) can't cope with the latest tech, because many would have struggled to cope with old-fashioned "tech" too. Hence why they need family or carers.

Is there really any reason for name calling?

Hereforthebunfights, doesn't Google maps have local bus info?

Again - I am well aware of the myriad of reasons why many folks would struggle - if I lost my glasses I would not be able to use my phone for example as I have sight issues. These are not the folks I am talking about. At no point (for the millionth time) have I said all adults should be able to use it.

I think however based on this thread there are also a wide section of society who just let themselves fall behind and then struggle to navigate the world, have confidence issues, or sometimes just lazy. I sent own own mother a fb video of a company to show her a gift she may like to buy her GC, and she replies back 'Thats not the link to buy it.'
Its like the idea of problem solving that (clicking on the companies profile page and clicking the link to their website) for some reason was beyond her. She is only in her 50s. She has no real reason to be that tech illiterate.

I mean its also a well known trope that senior management on 100K a year ask you how to rotate a PDF. I know, I have worked with many!

I’m in my 40s.

I grew up with first the Spectrum, then the PCs (which were networked, so we could message from computer to computer or play against siblings on computer games) then the Nintendo, the Gameboys, then dial up and internet chat rooms, then the N64/Playstation. My parents had mobile phones by the time I was old enough to walk home from school on my own as I had to memorise the numbers. We also had a landline, used Teletext a ridiculous amount and had Encarta the computer encyclopaedia!

But it’s definitely not about age, as my parents (who would now be in their 70s) were the ones who provided all of the above items, and knew full well how to use them. They had computers in their home from their early 30s, mobile phones before they were 40, home internet was the latest thing when they were the age I am now, and they had it installed and learned how to use it! embracing all online shopping and banking etc. Just like I’ve

My grandparents who would now be in their 90s-100s, all had mobile phones, home internet and either a tablet or games console at home before they died.

It’s fine not to enjoy/use the technology but I don’t think it’s about your age.

You're not wrong. I work with small business owners and it's often the reason their businesses fail. They can't afford to outsource everything "tech" as it's every part of the business but they can't master it in any meaningful way so lose a lot of income. Eventually their businesses is unsustainable. It's really sad.

I mean it's also a well known trope that senior management on 100K a year ask you how to rotate a PDF. I know, I have worked with many!

We used to have a senior guy in our office who would summon a new grad (always a boy) to print documents out for him. He also never learned my name, despite me having worked on something with him. Knowing how to print documents and learning my name was not important to him.

If someone's job involves using something like Teams then a refusal to use it is a bit risky. When redundancies come around the person who won't / can't upload documents, use Teams without the other people in her department helping her is going to be vulnerable.

I do t think it’s that older people can’t use technology it’s just that they wouldn’t think of that when getting on a bus. They are used to talking face to face and bus driver chat was standard not that long ago( I’m 52) and I speak to bus drivers in a foreign city or a different town to where I live if I’m not sure. Never had an issue and they are usually glad to help. My DF is 83 and uses an iPad but wouldn’t faff with an app in the street. Eyesight is a big part of this as is fear of phone theft.

I have relatives who don't really do technology and although it's not their fault it's frustrating because there are lots of things which would make their lives easier/happier. I know they would love zoom or WhatsApp calls with their grandchildren, for example, but although we tried we just couldn't get them onto it. iPlayer and other catch up services would also be great as one of them is still programming a recorder thingy to record programmes for her. Until recently it wasn't really an issue as they could pop into eg bank branches and post office and sort everything out in person. But various local branches/shops closing plus reduced mobility has made life quite hard for them as so much is internet based now. I agree it's not age based - other relatives a similar age are fine with tech.

YANBU.

iPads did not come out 30 years ago. The first iPad was released in 2010, so only 13 years ago.

I sent own own mother a fb video of a company to show her a gift she may like to buy her GC, and she replies back 'Thats not the link to buy it.'
Its like the idea of problem solving that (clicking on the companies profile page and clicking the link to their website) for some reason was beyond her.

I feel this. I have a friend who is similar, we are same age and she’s as good as I am with tech, but she will repeatedly ask me about something (eg an address) that I sent her over WhatsApp, instead of simply using the search function to scan the messages and find it herself. I lived with another friend who would ask me what the weather was on a regular basis, despite having the same smartphone that I’d have to use to check it. ‘I don’t know, haven’t looked yet’ was my reply, but it didn’t stop her asking the next time.

For some people they just would rather you do all of the work for them, and feigning tech illiteracy is one way to get you to do it.

First smart phones were around 2010 so iPads similar.

With my friendship group I have to say I feel like having 'Google is your friend' written on my forehead at times. The amount of information that is accessible but yet they still ask questions and look for information in our group chat that they could easily find in an app. One of my friends refuses to use 'apps' too and still sends money online using some random code generator or something. We're in our 40s with no vulnerabilities so there is no excuse in my opinion!

DSis is barely 50 and doesn’t know the basics such as how to use Zoom or attach a document to an email.

We are both legally responsible for some admin tasks related to DM’s death and it has been infuriating dealing with her ineptitude.

She lives 200 miles away from me and I needed her to email me some important docs. She couldn’t do it.

Doesn’t ‘understand’ how scan and email works so can’t do that either.

Couldn’t print a document I sent her.

When she eventually joined a Zoom call I put a link to website she needed on the Zoom chat and she literallly said “I don’t know how to click on the link” I mean WTF?!

The trouble with that kind of expectation, OP, is that it leads to the assumption that only statistical outliers will be excluded (and fuck them, right?), that the technical solution is always the most convenient one, and that it always works. Which we all know isn't the case. I think most adults are, in fact, able to use technology. So what we're left with is frustration at those who for whatever reason can't or won't, when they're not doing anything wrong.