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are moaning like hell because the system of filling in patients notes at the end of the shift in a book with a pen has been replaced by handheld devices (basically phones) that are more secure and can be completed on the go.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 agree. There are nuances to this. I too am fed up of having to download an app for things that I will use infrequently. It takes up space (memory) on my phone which isn't endless.

It's a faff going to a car park then having to download an app and then put bank details in. Cash would be much quicker. Or even paying online without the app being the ONLY route to pay. It's maddening.

I'm 69 so definitely didn't grow up with technology although I'm by no means useless. But the sheer pace of change and apps for every mortal thing really is stressful and exhausting. Tech for tech's sake can't be a good thing, it's just making someone very rich.

There's a car park at a shopping centre near me. It offers free parking for those with a disabled badge. But you have to scan a pretty small QR code to input details, which is on a sign, which is about 8ft high - not the best positioning to scan a QR code. No lower QR codes in sight. It's very daft.

Why does your work permit people refusing to learn how to use the tech and why are people filling in the notes for them?! That is within the control of your work to sort.

I have a lot of empathy for people who find it overwhelming, and we are all different so I know 'im scared of making a mistake' can come across as anxiety, anger, defiance, fear, hugely over the top reactions, flippancy, superiority... all the different emotions!

And some people dont have someone in their life who is patient to show them, in calm circumstances - none of us are perfect and I can see how these people just end up avoiding things and then panicking when put on the spot. And i can see how people can be afraid to ask for help.

However what I DONT have time for is people who dont bloody try and then expect other people to do it for them.

Example (from work)

New system, Jane gets up in arms about it because she 'isnt good with tech'. Always asks someone else to do her work on this system for her, and never ever pays attention to what they are doing or makes any effort to retain the information, despite the fact we would explain it to her each time, had written instructions with screenshots, were happy to run 1 on 1 sessions with her, happy to record ourselves doing a walk through with a voice over for her to refer to... you get the drift, we were happy to help in any learning style! But she didnt want to try and didnt see why she should have to. So everyone else ended up running around after her all the time. She was obviously scared of looking foolish or making a mistake, but not so much she didnt think she could just shift it to someone else....

Example 2.

Pam, came across defiant and flippant, we catch on that she is deathly afraid of making a mistake. She corners me one day and asks if I can walk her through it, and makes herself notes. I tell her to grab me next time she tries if she wants a handhold. She does, a couple of times, and she updates her notes each time. She does it successfully on her own without any steer the third time.

Unfortunately a lot of people fall into Example 1.

I feel it's the same sort of trait as people who claim not to know some celeb or trashy TV in some show of virtuousness

Oh no, I don't have a smartphone
Oh no, I don't know who Kim Kardashian is
Oh no, I've never heard of Love Island

All feels very similar and holier than thou

It is an issue that elderly people who refuse to engage with technology will become increasingly incapable of navigating modern life. These people become dependent on the younger generation to do things for them.

In my father's case, he became a victim of a financial scam perpetrated by a person he should not have trusted. My father did not have online banking to check statements. He thought by not having online banking, no one could scam him, He would only write cheques and give cash, so went to the cash machine to withdraw large amounts of cash regularly. He eventually gave his debit card to someone else to operate who zero-ed his bank account.

It is isolating for older people if they refuse to engage with technology in today's digitised world and makes them vulnerable to scams.

Im pretty tech savvy. However. When I was going through a challenging time in my life, tech going slightly wrong or new tech to learn had me in tears.

you never know what else people are dealing with.

Happens to me all the time at work, we’re a legal firm (think conveyancing type stuff) where it’s all done remotely, hence it’s cheaper as we don’t need high street offices. We have to check people’s ID and this is done on a smart phone, they take a photo of themselves and a photo of their passport and it’s done in about 30 seconds, and there’s always one who can’t do it because ‘I don’t do technology’ - well ok then, go to a high street solicitors and pay the extra for the face to face service, but don’t expect you can use the cheaper service if you can’t use technology!

As a manager, I have no truck with reports who don't get with technology and new systems. Thankfully, none of them have refused point blank. Training is provided. There are process guides. They are supposed to ask if they get stuck and eventually get familiar with the new system and ways of doing things.

With all this support, if someone still cannot get with it, the amount of work they can do will drastically shrink, so I will need to involve HR to see what the options are.

It is the same with working from home. People love to be able to WFH. But that means being able to communicate clearly in writing and taking written instructions on email. If they expect someone to train them at their desk for everything, that does not work. Work has moved on from a fully in person model.

If it's just laziness or an affectation then yes, that's quite annoying.

However I get really fed up with my place of work expecting us to just know how to use new platforms without any instruction whatsoever.

Sounds like my dbro - has internet access and knows how to use a computer but refuses 'on principle' to use technology in shops, doctors, hospitals, banks etc. Will not book in at surgery using the book in screen, refuses to book appointments online, will not use the self serve machines in supermarket, will not use machines in banks.

Says he is either supporting the older people who cannot use it or employees who may lose their jobs due to technology - a lot of 'older' people can and do use it!

FIL's dominant personality trait is "not owning a smart phone". He checks emails on an ancient laptop a couple of times a week, and will very occasionally buy something online from a known website.

I've had indignant phonecalls before moaning that he has received a text (the horror) from the hospital, and how inconvenient and long-winded it is to have to faff around online to organise appointments or read an NHS letter for example... Then, without irony, he asks me to look at it for him and painstakingly reads out the link which he could have just clicked if he had a smart phone, or he could have fired up the laptop and typed it himself. Gah!!

I am fed up of apps. My bloody phone is full of the fuckers!
My DH has an old phone that no longer gets updates so he isn’t able to do online banking. But if can take calls/texts and he can play the occasional game on it. He refuses to waste money on a new phone when it does what he needs!
I’m okay but I don’t want everything by email I will miss things because sometimes my phone email puts important messages into promotions etc. Also email and text scams for rife!
Plus I worry about getting older, sight problems and reading things on my phone is hard. Plus chunky fingers.

Suggest that they put a bottle of hand sanitiser by the pad then - ours does.

This!!! Gives me the rage 😡

My parents are in their 80s and they used to be great with tech but can't manage anything anymore, a simple purchase or booking an appointment thru genuinely don't know where to start.
It's rotten how tech locks people out

My brother doesn't have a computer or a smartphone. He wasn't brought up with computers and never learned how to use one. Never touched one I don't think.
He has absolutely no idea how to use a screen out and about, such as the doctors surgery, hospital appointments etc, and that would be the only thing he needs it for. There is, apparently, no need in his life at all for technology.

This is exactly what I am talking about. I have all the time in the world for Pam.

Jane just irritates me.

While I see the value of tech if used properly, it makes some things overly complicated.

• Apps for everything, especially parking.
• Too many passwords.
• pressure to leave reviews.
• Those fucking whole-screen cookie warnings, with the delay before they appear.
• domestic appliances needing an app - fuck off.
• total dependence on the internet: if your WiFi is down, you can’t take payments. This is very bad indeed, in my book, and precisely why we must not abolish cash.
• And, technology is the reason lockdown lasted for so long. If it was merely ten years earlier, it would have been impossible. This is one reason I am extremely wary of over-reliance on technology. It was a warning glimpse of things to come, and I’m sure I will say one day “I told you so”.

My DM is nearly 90 and has embraced all the tech, and is lucky enough to be able to afford lots of Apple devices. She does struggle to use some apps and websites. They just aren’t obvious enough, and need to be designed to be user friendly. She would probably be quite slow at using the screen at the Drs and would rather speak to the receptionist.
Personally I hate parking apps. I’d rather stick in some coins, or preferably tap my card.
It’s silly not to embrace tech at work though. It’s literally your job, so you need to learn to do it.

I know someone who won't have an email address, seems to delight in trying to get companies to deal with him by post, even for appointment reminders, can't even join his own union without one.

I carry sanitizer and wipes with me for this very reason. So many touch screens now, that tons of people have had their fingers on!

I hate using pads to sign in on anything. Not because I can't but because of all the germs on them, absolutely gross.

I agree it’s 2026 and people need to use technology if they are able to and shouldn’t expect to be pandered to just because they don’t like screens. Being able to input into online forms and basic things like that are part of life now.