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are moaning like hell because the system of filling in patients notes at the end of the shift in a book with a pen has been replaced by handheld devices (basically phones) that are more secure and can be completed on the go.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?

Scammers will always be one step ahead.

I meet people younger than me who are like this and it is irritating. Havng said that, I can see my younger colleagues work through tech glitches and problems much more easily than I do.

That depends on the person. I'd hate to go back to 2010 as it would mean I couldn't order using an app in a restaurant, couldn't book most appointments online, couldn't do anywhere near as much internet shopping, virtually no online supermarket deliveries, and much more time consuming/convoluted online banking using laptop/software rather than much simpler apps, couldn't extend my car park stay via the app whilst I was in the shops/restaurant and I was longer than expected, etc etc.

Same with my work - everything would take so much longer if we went back to 2010 as we now have fully integrated software systems communicating directly with clients, with HMRC, with Companies House, can prove a client's identity literally at the click of a mouse without them having to bring in their passport and driving licence for us to check in person, etc etc.

Digital Exclusion is A Thing and we need to make sure it doesn't get worse

I agree too. Gave up on managing the credit card online as it required so much faff. Gone back to a paper statement and told the company why.

Very much agree with poster who said lots of people are functionally illiterate.
To use tech you need to be able to read English to a reasonable standard.
Also eyesight. Lots of adults don’t have regular eye tests or too vain to wear glasses. You need to be able to see to click screen. My elderly mum needed to do something on iPad after having cataracts done, she said she couldn’t even see there was an iPad, the nice receptionist helped her.
Some is also loneliness. My mum lives alone and enjoys speaking to shop assistant or lady in building society. If she used self serve she might not speak to anyone that day.

There is still a PIN as a backup, after the FaceID fails a couple of times it pops up.

Depends on the system your GP uses. Ours is long winded and useless. It often times out while you are completing the compulsory bits before you even get to the problem, and I'm an ex PA to a CEO, so not slow. I am still waiting for a response to my request to speak to someone about the spike in my blood pressure, two weeks later.

I can use the tech. I just much prefer to speak and interact with a living, breathing human.

Do you feel the same about door handles etc that must also be the same? I just carrier sanitiser

Same with supermarket shopping. People moaning about refusing to use self scan because they "dont get get paid to scan their own shopping" Self scan has been around for years!! And they refuse to use scan and shop but will stand in a long queue, unload all their shopping on the conveyor belt, then pack it all again. And its not just elderly people. Lots of older people have smart phones etc, even in their 80s!!

My dad doesn’t have a smartphone, he’s happy enough without. My mum does & spends most of her time on it or the laptop.

I’m not a massive fan of all the machines nowadays, but it’s a part of modern life. I’m no tech whizz which makes it all harder, I suppose!

I know all of this modern technology is supposed to be convenient, but it’s not really. Not for individuals. I have a smartphone but I haven’t finished setting it up, so I only use it for texts and calls, internet and photos. I don’t use any Apps. I don’t do internet banking. I don’t have a usable personal email address. I don’t really understand what Chat gpt is, or how I’d use AI. None of this has impacted me negatively in any way or inconvenienced me (or anyone else) in the slightest. Instead, I feel very free from it.

I do work, so have a work laptop, email address and use teams etc. AI is strictly banned in my job so I don’t need it. I’ll use technology if I really need to, but I don’t tend to need to outside of work.

I have spent all my working life, trying to process people’s handwriting and arithmetic. I have often got the impression, they couldn’t read their own handwriting.

Ime, plenty of people struggle with basic reading, writing and arithmetic and if they do, they may struggle even more when it’s embedded in technology?

In my own family, there are four ND people. One has severe dyslexia. I think one has severe dyscalculia. Two can’t understand what they read. One of them, DH is a partner in a professional firm, but he functions in a routine. He’s worked on computers for thirty years; but when things go wrong, he has no idea what to do!

Indeed, I can’t. And it might come sooner than we think. I said it about a lot of things that happened in 2020, and I was right.

My mother would be in her 90s if she were still alive, but when computers became unavoidable she went to classes and learned how to use one. This would be about 25 years ago now. I don't see why people don't try.

My 3 living grandparents all in their mid 80s have smart phones, tablets, laptops etc and are all pretty good on them. My grandad is asking for help more now, but at 88 and with declining eyesight and hearing, that makes sense.

I work with a lady in her early 50s who is refusing to learn how to use new systems because 'im old, I don't understand technology' - but has a smart phone, is on Facebook, has worked in an office for 30 years. I don't have the time for it!

It's true, there are too many apps for everything and places being cashless or only being able to order via an app or pay for parking is infuriating. Especially when some people don't have and can't afford a smart phone and data to be able to do these things! There needs to be a universal option.

@Sophiehoney I too witnessed a tourist attraction losing money because of loss of internet. There were prominent signs proclaiming “we are cashless”. But the staff looked sheepish, and said “actually, it’s cash only today, our internet is down”. I bet they lost a lot of customers and money that day. Didn’t Sainsbury’s once have an internet outage or something? It probably cost them literally millions.

And I do foresee Trump and others cancelling and de-monetising people they don’t like, simply by switching off their internet.

They steal phones instead. And your identity. And your money online.

My late mother totally refused to use ANY kind of technology. It drove my sister and I to despair. She wouldn't even use an ATM. She would drive 30 minutes, park in a car park and walk to the bank where she would write out a cheque and get cash. She then kept in a tin behind the bathroom sink. Email? Forget it Texting? No way. What even is it? She had a basic mobile phone that was permanently switched off as it was to be used 'in emergencies only'. It seemed to go over her head that anyone might need to contact her on her mobile in an emergency! Other than that, she was a lovely mother and I miss her dearly. But, my God, she drove us mad.

Where do you think they could magic the change from?
Cant just get it from a bank or post office as you need a business account that's even if there is even one nearby and you can also spare the staff to do it!
Taking cash as a business is costly and requires a lot more time, staff and equipment to deal with it so no a lot of businesses can't just take cash.

It’s hard for many disabled people to access the tech.

blind or deaf people find it particularly difficult.

No, you're missing my point.

I didn't think they should have just taken my cash there and then. I accept their business was not set up to not take cash and that's that now.

What I meant was, it didn't seem to make sense to me that they had set themselves up that way in the first place. There should have been a back to up plan in case the card machines failed.

I think that's covered in the very first sentence of the OP.

I don't understand the hate for parking apps. I use one all the time and it's very convenient. Obviously easier than paying cash as you don't need to worry about having the right change. But also, IMO, easier than paying with a card. You can pay without leaving your car, no need to wander to the other side of the car park to find the machine, and if you realise you need to extend your parking time you can do it without returning to your car

Thank you!!