To find people who refuse to embrace technology irritating?

[Sophiehoney]

I don't mean people who genuinely struggle

I am irritated with people who absolutely refuse to even try.
I am sure a lot of the time they do it on purpose. They use the whole "I don't do technology" thing as a personality trait, to be quirky and "not like all you young people" when simply being a bit older is not a reason in itself, as Mumsnet proves!!

People at my work are moaning like hell because the system of filling in patients notes at the end of the shift in a book with a pen has been replaced by handheld devices (basically phones) that are more secure and can be completed on the go. They are so simple but some people are refusing to learn so others are filling their notes in for them.

A lady at the doctor's today point blank refused to even try to sign herself in on the machine. It was literally just a case of pressing a button and then filling in a form with her name and DOB using a keyboard. She declared proudly "I'm not doing this, I don't do technology, I don't even have a mobile phone!" And made he poor stressed receptionist with a line of people waiting come out and do it for her.

My mum will pop round a million times a week with "something she needs me to on her iPad" and it's usually just something trivial like reading an email and sending a one line reply that I know she is capable of. I've stated getting my 13 year old to do and she pays him £1 every time so every cloud 🤷

But these people do irritate me when they expect others to pick up their slack by refusing to try.

AIBU?

I'm 78 and Ive been using tech fo years, as has DH, 88. We both struggle with some aspects, but manage quite well on the whole, apart from printers which are the work of the devil! I don't have much patience with people like your colleague.

The woman in your GP example was just being pathetic.

My GP moved to an online system which works so, so much better than queuing on the phone at 8am. They had an unbelievable amount of pushback with perfectly capable people, flat out refusing to even try it.

I actually think people should have the option at the Drs and I say that as someone who always uses the screen. There are lots of reasons someone might be hesitant to use it that you can’t see.

The work example is daft and like it or lump it, it’s part of work life now!

It's ridiculous. The internet has been around since the 90s and smartphones since the 2000s. It's not like they're new. Signing on a pad is nothing and requires no knowledge or particular skill.

What there should not be is the end of some alternatives to certain technologies. For example, you should not need an app to pay for car parking.

I think everyone struggles with printers. They truly are the worst!!

4 years ago my very elderly mum was fine with tech. Now she's not. Some receptionists at her GP surgery are rude impatient fuckers with her. Some are lovely.

One of the rude impatient fuckers did it when I was there - and after I had a short, helpful, polite conversation with the practice manager, saw the error of her ways.

Your examples are indeed frustrating, YANBU.
I wish I was more tech savvy though, it's honestly like a different language to me, my brain has a block, I frustrate myself to the point of tears sometimes, no doubt I probably annoy some people.

Not quite answering your point, but I get grossed out by the pad at the doctors. Lots of ill people have been touching it and I don’t want to. I do, because it’s the sensible thing to do, but I wish I didn’t have to.

In my area they refer to themselves as “luddites” which annoys me no end. Like they know a fancy word and are determined to use it.

I spent a year working with the general public in a low income area. The key thing I learnt from that year is that an extraordinarily high number of people are functionally illiterate, and that they will often feel ashamed and go to great lengths to hide it. So sometimes the people refusing to use screens, refusing to download apps etc genuinely can’t read well enough to be confident using these things but won’t tell you.

Yes my mum. She's only mid 60s but decided a few years ago she didn't do technology, backed up by a mad friend of hers who says the same (but is 90 so has more of an excuse) 🙄

It's maddening as she then moans about everything she can't do and it doesn't matter that I've tried to explain a million times what an app is or whatever, if I dare to suggest it's easy and she is capable she throws her arms in the air and throws the old "just leave it, everyone always gets cross with me" blah blah blah. Total deflection no matter how patient I try to be.

Some people will manage it, and look forward to new things. Others will be frightened of it. Some will feel completely lost.
If you were never taught how to really use a computer it will be all the harder to learn.

I dislike those appointments things in the Dr’s. Not because I cannot use it but because I have never ever seen anyone clean the thing. I suspect they are filthy.

Very irritating! I have a friend who needs to save her pennies but refuses to engage with online shopping of any kind. She will however message me to research and order something from Amazon. I have Prime so free delivery. She also believes cash is king, won’t pay for anything with a card or using her phone… in fact I don’t think she has a smartphone. I keep warning her that pretty soon everyone will have a digital wallet where all purchases/payments will be paid through ie a cashless society. She laughs at me 🙄. I am 74 and embrace technological advances. Always have done. I remember my first little iPod to play music on the go. Such a beautiful little item.

I agree completely!

However - when I was doubled over in pain in A&E and I had to try and fill out 40 questions, I refused once I got a certain point in and asked the pissy receptionist. I literally couldn't even stand straight and it wanted to know the name and number of emergency contacts, GP name etc... all things that required looking up on a phone to then input in. Simply not at all practical for an A&E dept check in.

@Overtheatlantic ”luddite” is just a word. Nothing fancy about it. Don’t blame other people because your vocabulary is limited!

Up until last year my 82 year old mum was capable of using her phone or computer to do shopping, doctors appointments, banking etc. Then she had a long hospital stay and now can’t do anything technological. The TV is her limit most days.

Another younger but retired relative left school at 15, always had a manual job and can only function in today’s world with help.

I worked in an industry that became more and more technology based over the years and met resistance from the workforce at every step.

Another friend in his 50s runs a successful plumbing business, but all the computer stuff is handled by his wife. He is a brilliant plumber but wouldn’t know how to send an invoice.

People don’t like change and yes phones have been around for years but that doesn’t mean everyone uses them.

I had a strange experience in a hospital. Went to reception and it said ‘enter details in the machine to your right’.
There was a receptionist behind the glass screen to make that clear.
So I turned to my right and proceeded to put in the details of my appointment. The machine then told me I had to speak to the receptionist after all.
So I literally turned around to the glass screen and said my name and why I was there and she said’ thankyou take a seat’.

Sometimes technology is a complete waste of space.

I do agree with this.

Reminds me of this 😅

I agree with you to an extent OP, but I also think you have to remember how difficult it is for some people. I’m 58 so of course I use a lot of tech as I still work, but I wasn’t born into it like younger people were.

I still find some of it stressful. For example, my phone is ancient, and I’ve bought a new one, but I’m delaying actually taking it out of the box. It has differences that I know will take some getting used to (no home button, liquid glass screen etc), and I just find those kind of adjustments exhausting and stressful. Also setting it up is scary too, I never know if it’ll work.

My young adult kids are not remotely phased by any of these things. But you have to understand that for some people, the world of technology is terrifying.

Some of them do do it in purpose and use it as some cute and quirky trope, as you say.
My mum tried to pretend she doesn't know what a website is. She bloody well does.
My dad was in a short stay rehabilitation hospital type place where visitors have to sign in on aachine on the reception desk. It was just a case of pressing "entering" then filling in her name and dad's name but she would throw her hands up in the air insisting she can't handle it.
The receptionist helpfully made her a little QR code pass, so all she had go do when visiting was press "entering" and hold it up to the screen. Nope. Still flat out refused 🙄🙄🙄

I’m a millennial so I’ve grown up with technology but even my mind boggles at how far technology has come along in a short space of time. I think there is also tech fatigue - everything is on app and not all apps are actually user friendly. Why do I need 5 different apps for parking with the functionality of all of them different? Why do I have to have an app for my child’s nursery or school? Or to pay for swimming lessons?

So, yes some of it is stubbornness and they need to get over it but it doesn’t mean you have to silently accept the erosion of non-tech methods and replacement of human interaction. Yes, the doctor’s receptionist is busy but for some people that interaction is really important. I think there’s a fine line between what is useful tech (digitising handover notes vs paper ones that could get lost) vs tech for tech sake like endless parking apps rather than just accepting card and coins on the machine or AI chatbots that can’t answer your question and hand you over to a human who sorts it in about 2 minutes.

I can’t help thinking it’s easier to avoid things all together or get someone else to do it . I was reading a forum the other day when someone of 68 announced she doesn’t do technology so couldn’t learn about google lens. She’s 68 not 98 where it may be more understandable. I really feel for the DR surgery with all those refusers trying to navigate booking appointments etc

That sounds like a class thing rather than a geographical one. (Unless by area you meant area as in field of employment?)

But yeah, as soon as a word or expression starts being "trotted out" it starts to irritate me too. MN is terrible for it!