I grabbed my Android phone a few weeks back, only to observe that its familiar interface appeared different. Quickly, I determined that a new, or at least a dramatically changed, operating system had been foisted upon me and that I had to accept it. The change has been problematic. Overnight, it seemed I had lost access to some contacts and important text and email functions.
***
I’m no “techie,’ but consider myself passingly competent using computer technology. Still, I acknowledge it is possible, even likely, that I had not lost any functionality, but rather, did not know how to access my “missing” features with this new and improved interface.
I would gladly have consulted my Android instruction manual for answers, but alas, there isn’t one. (Did your iPhone come with a user’s manual? I doubt it.) The lack of any straightforward “help” resources is a persistent and irritating issue with smartphone technology, especially, it seems, for older consumers. Instead, I was forced to seek technical assistance at the store where I had purchased my phone.
***
The young clerk sized me up. He proved helpful, if a little condescending due to my obvious advanced age. Lots of people around this clerk’s age wrongly assume that there is a large cohort of doddering, mentally feeble, and physically disabled senior citizens –like me– who don’t get it and can’t be taught.
Here is one example of this sentiment I came across on the inter-Google:
“…old individual’s brain struggles with adapting how to learn new things because it needs to keep memory of things such as the moment with their childrens instead of remembering how to use high-tech devices.”
(This is an actual quote. I got the writer’s message yet was shocked by how poorly the sentence is written.)
Here are a couple more examples:
- “…senior people, they have a limited capacity to learn new technology…”
- “…older individuals tend to exhibit a reluctance to engage with complex technological tools. This can be attributed to two principal factors: cognitive decline and physical limitations.”
Contrary to these condescending opinions, older adults are far from reluctant or incapable when it comes to using technology. “Research and experience show that older adults can and are eager to learn new technology, as long as they see a need for it and are taught in ways that build confidence rather than exacerbating the stereotypes of technological incompetence.” See Nash, OLDER ADULTS AND TECHNOLOGY: MOVING BEYOND THE STEREOTYPES (2019), found at https://longevity.stanford.edu/older-adults-and-technology-moving-beyond-the-stereotypes/. Naturally, AARP concurs, finding in a survey that older adults are as likely as someone under fifty to own a smartphone, tablet, or other device. While older adults embrace technology, they are skeptical of artificial intelligence. See https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/technology/internet-media-devices/2024-technology-trends-older-adults/. Interestingly, however, Newsweek reports that the youngest, and presumably most tech-savvy, members of Generation Z, likewise remain skeptical of artificial intelligence. See https://www.newsweek.com/gen-z-most-skeptical-ai-new-study-1951710 (9-10-24.)
The development of computing technology from the ancient abacus to today’s quantum computers has a lengthy and fascinating history. See https://www.britannica.com/technology/computer/Time-sharing-and-minicomputers. As relevant to our discussion today, giant mainframe computers were first developed for use in science and large-scale businesses during the 1960s, but before 1970, the thought of an individual having a personal computer was “viewed as far-fetched.” Id.
In 1984, when the first Apple Macintosh computer hit the market, I was already in my mid-thirties. According to academics like Nash, this timing makes me a “digital immigrant,” in stark contrast to today’s youngsters, who are considered “digital natives.” Think of it as the difference between a native English speaker and someone who acquires English as a second language.
Nonetheless, as a computer refugee, I can almost guarantee that if someone were to produce a concise and readable “how to” manual for aging smartphone users, we would flock to it and make its developer wealthy beyond imagination!
