AIBU To Feel Close To Tears When Not Understanding My Computer

[swanriver]

Are some of us less technical than others?
Is it a mental block or just old age?
I can use mumsnet but that's about it.
Even trying to help my kids with homework seems impossible on computer.
A feelng of blind panic and frustration comes over me. Is this normal?

I spend all day on my laptop. I more or less understand how to do most things on it, and regularly talk my mum through cut and paste like someone from NASA talking down a moon landing.

But when I can't get the printer to work, I have been known to weep real tears.

YANBU

You need to tackle it with the attitude that it's very hard to break a computer by clicking on the wrong thing. I mean you probably could, but only after you'd gone through a few "Are you sure?/Are you really sure?" type messages.

So just keep at it - until I got Windows Vista I would have said that it is mostly pretty logical. Have you thought about having some lessons? Our local sixth form college has all sorts of Adult evening/computing for beginners type classes.

I think a lot of it is what you're used to growing up and how much day to day exposure you get to them.

I grew up with computers, work with PCs and play with Macs and I'm reasonably competent with them.

I'm happy to tinker and fiddle with them both in terms of the real physical bits and pieces and what's running on them.

On the other hand all I know about my car is that it has three peddles, "stop", "go" and "push when you change gear or the engine will jump ten feet up into the air".

I'm very reluctant to do anything more major to my car other than wash it in case I break it.

I'm sure if I put the time into it I'd be able to pick it all up, but right now and from here it's all just a great land of mystery that's best left to mechanics who see me coming, circle me like sharks sniffing blood in the water, inhale through their teeth and then can charge me pretty much whatever they like

So it's not mental blocks or old age, just experience and practice.

I get really really frustrated with my laptop when I can't do things and swear at it in a way I wouldn't with anything else. I think it's just so frustrating because it is usually something very samll that is wrong. Yes, lessons a good idea but I can't bear the thought of that so have learned to live with my limitations. Swanriver - can't your kids teach you to do things or teenagers in the family as they are usually very competent where IT is concerned.