Technology - who’s overwhelmed?

My phone is a Samsung j3 (2016) and I have it set to simple mode, it can make calls or texts and access the net on wi-fi and that's good enough for me. Soon I will undoubtedly have to upgrade but the last thing I want or need is the newest and latest phone, I have no intention of ever entrusting my life to a tiny pocket computer. Same thing with my car: all I want is something to get me there, I resent the need to fork out extra $$$ for screens and "smart" gadgets.

I shouldn’t be a disappearing poster. My problem partly stems from 20 years on the farm in a valley with no mobile reception, while other people were coming up to speed on mobile phones. It took the next ‘G’ for it to be an option except on shopping trips to a town. DH is a tech wiz, and when the G arrived I got him to make all the calls on the farm. And we don’t have Apple, which I understand is more user-friendly. Heavens, we don’t even use Windows, just Linux.

Tony upgraded phones about 5 times, and each time gave me his old one because it was ‘better than what you are using’. Each time was a new set of methods. The last step was to get me the same phone as he is using, which of course is the best going. So I am starting from scratch on the most complicated possible bit of technology.

DH says there is a manual (on line of course) for people who read, like me, but it’s 103 pages long. He is taking the truck up to Alice Springs and will be gone 3 weeks (not that any time estimate is every correct), so I might get the manual and do a cut-down copy of things that I might actually use.

The b*tch in me hopes that all these clever young people end up with arthritis in their thumbs!
Yours, Margaret

My dad, 92 and five hours away, is overwhelmed by even his home phone. He used to be pretty good on the computer but because of updates, nothing feels familiar to him. And all the doctors wanting him to have portals just frustrates him. I pay for a cell phone for dad so he has something for emergencies but he gave out his cell phone number to friends and now gets lots of texts, which he doesn't know how to look at or delete. He tells me that "people are playing with my phone again, making it make all these sounds." I meant to pair his cell phone with the account I set up for him on my Chromebook (so I can monitor his email, Fb, and banking) when I was there but that didn't happen this time. I think there needs to be consideration of age when businesses, especially physicians, expect communication via online accounts or cell phone texts.

Geaton,
I turn 60 this year, and have a December birthday. For that, and for Christmas, I will be asking my family to forgo gifts, and just get me Apple gift cards.

My MacBook Air is about 10 years old, so I may just take you up on your offer and pm you for a review for what you bought. 😀

I want to mention that Apple Customer Support has online chat and also a phone number (800-275-2273). Often I go online to schedule a call with them so I dont have to be on hold. You can share your screen with them so they can see exactly what you're talking about if you don't know the lexicon to describe your problem. They've seen it all.

Apple Stores offer classes to seniors to learn how to make better use of their devices.

Passwords are a thing that won't go away for now. My laptop and iPhone use face recognition (even when I have my readers on), so no need to always do sign-ins. I strongly recommend a password keeping app.

I pay for things using ApplePay (on my iPhone) so I don't have to drag my wallet everywhere.

I also recommend having a "decoy" email address. I set up a free gmail so that when I shop or some website wants my email address I give them that one, and then all the junk goes there while keeping my real personal email as junk-free as possible. I have 3 email addresses (1 is for business).

If your are retired, then you have plenty of time to teach yourself the ins and outs of the digital era, whether you are Android or Apple.

Alva, if anyone on this forum ever needs help or guidance I am happy to do what I can if they are on an Apple device. Just PM me.

I just got an email from my Eye Doctor. They want me to open a portal with them. What does that mean to me...another ID and password in my little black book. I know its nice to have but I will set it up and never use it. To get a discount on my car insurance, I had to set up "My acct". Another ID and Password in my little black book and something I may never look at. When I went to Alaska, needed an app for the airlines. Which was nice going because we did not need to check in. Guy looked up our name, tagged our luggage and off we went. Had to have one for air canada and one for Canada because we were flying out from there. And who had to fill out 2 sets of everything because her DH is computer illiterate? My girls and grandsons, just part of their lives.

I think I have adjusted well. I do have an android cell. But have not perfected that reader thing yet.

I just got home from my local Terry Fox run. I asked if I could register and donate there or had to do it online. Sure they said, just scan this QR code with your smart phone and pay that way. Uhmm... 😕😖

Geaton,
I wish you could mentor us here and open yourown "ask me about tech" column.

You are RIGHT about apple and it is very intuitive. The youth only buy apple they say, and 60% of them have it. When I found out my daughter's apple iphone was easier to use than my pushbutton jitterbug was the day I moved up to a smart phone (tho starting with keeping with lively and their android as I get on the phone help so easily).

I am also better at the laptop now, and it was my partner telling me "You can't really hurt anything, you just have to be willing to play around with it" that helped me. I can now go into tools and devices.

I will just say that the age of tech is creepy and odd for me and very anxiety provoking. When computers came into hospitals I thought I couldn't adapt. I did. My daughter, now 61 and what I consider very computer savy actually said that her school's new mode of copying things is driving her nuts and seems like 60 steps to do copy of something she just used to put in the copy/scanner. But she DOES say the young teacher all love it and are always saying "Oh, LOOK, you can do this and that and that and this".

The other thing true is that Ai (which I think will be smart enough to eliminate humans off the face of the earth --which I am thankful for) is GREAT at diagnosing, especially in brain things. Load in the symptoms and Ai is coming up with the answers better than MRIs.

Geaton, you represent the Brave New World of tech well!

As to grandson, without a smart phone there is really no WAY to communicate with him anymore. They don't phone. They don't email. They TEXT!

I cannot imagine how someone without help, or without a good solid mind can cope. At 81 I find it more and more difficult. And in all truth I am terrified by the thought that one of us (partner or me) will leave the other ALONE to face this; together we aren't necessarily smarter, but feel more supported.
That said I finally did feel I absolutely HAD TO get a big girl phone, and last week I exchanged my jitterbug flip phone for a real android smart phone, and that went so much better than I ever expected it to. I do recommend lively.com and their smartphone3 because you get real people any time you want them and they are kind and walk you through everything.

Problem is that there is no help to be had now, whether medical (I don't care WHAT system you are in) or in any other way.
We own a two flat and live in one of the units. To get a simple repair on a simple thing is not only enormously expensive but you are LUCKY to find anyone to do it and to pay them at any price. I still garden and N. still does the simple things like change the dryer lint hose (today!), but still.

For medical, for the first time in two decades Kaiser is letting me and partner down right and left and I could do the details, but who needs it. You can't get them when you tear off your toenail and are bleeding everywhere, but they will hound you and threaten to cut off your meds if you don't make an "overdue" physical appt when your physical isn't due for 6 months! The doc tells me that she can't control that computer that just keep churning things out. Detached retina for the partner. Oh, too bad because in the entire city of SF no retinologist at Kaiser's two mammoth complexes. Off to another system for the care.

As to tech itself and getting it into the house and working. We just replaced our TV. Talk about a another nightmare.

When my bro went into ALF he got so much better mentally, and they told me not unusual. That once all the bills are getting done by POA and meals are served without one having to think about it, and medical is addressed, and transportation, they ALL improve, ha ha.
The woman I talked to said she goes home from work daily and says to hubby she just wants to enter ALF, but she's only 46.

People pay money for apps and books to keep their brains at optimal functioning levels and to stave off cognitive decline. No need for this: just keep up with technology. It's not like you can wreck anything nowadays if you press the wrong button - there's almost always a way to fix or retrieve it (if you do back-up, which is now easier than it's ever been, and have a password keeping app).

I'm not an 'elder' really, but at 67 I find quite a lot of technology is waaay out of my comfort zone.

My 5 yo grandson can take my phone and find games, shows, apps, etc when I sit there with an idiotic look on my face.

We DO have a landline and will until I die. We moved 18 months ago and after having the same phone number for 43 years..I knew if I shut it off, I'd never hear from some friends ever again. It's not a mark of stupidity to have a landline and IDC what people say--I can talk as long as I like on my landline and not have to worry about dropping the call or running out of batteries!

Every time DH gets me a new phone (I'm due!) he sets it up for me and then I start re-learning all the stuff I knew from my old phone.

A lot to be said for keeping in the loop--and maybe I'm better than some of my friends, but for the most part, my phone is NOT in my back pocket 24/7. When we have family or friends over I DO NOT keep my phone out, scrolling through it while trying to be an active part of the conversation.

DH is a computer science engineer, so he's always on top of everything.

I DID get to show him how to install Venmo the other day :) Probably the only thing I HAVE taught him!

I encourage everyone on this forum to keep up with technology. It is the best tool you will ever have: knowledge/education; safety; social connection; entertainment; shopping; convenience, financial & medical management, etc.

I have had only Apple products since we purchased our first computer in 1989 (for business). It is *much easier* now to transfer info to new devices than it has ever been (I do it myself without any help every time I get a new laptop or phone).

Apple products are more expense but more hack-proof. I just went to the Apple Store in my local mall and guess what? Amongst the multiple sales people on the floor at least half were women my age *or older*, so they get "us".

I bought a new laptop last month. I researched it online first. When I knew which one I wanted I strolled into the Apple Store, was immediately met by a salesperson. I told him I was there to purchase X, he got on his iPad to check stock and the laptop came out within 2 minutes. Then he told me if I signed up for the AppleCard (free) I could pay for the laptop in payments with $0 down and $0 finance charge. He was friendly, patient, non-condescending and very helpful. If that isn't an excellent customer service experience, then I don't know what is.

Sidenote: if you have an AppleCard you can open a savings account that makes 4.15%. I was automatically approved for it and did it through my digital Wallet.

And, your children will be ever so grateful that you know how to text and post pics and manage your care online, etc.

I was never able to transition my Mom to a smartphone because she never had the opportunity to learn how to use computers, either in a work environment. Since she was single and never "needed" a computer on a daily basis she wasn't able to retain or keep learning how to use it so it was frustrating to her. Also, she could not get over the price. She has a flip phone and I have her use my iPad to play games on but that's it. With her hearing impairment and forgetting to put in her hearing aids daily, I so wish she could at least text.

Any question you have about technology can be answered from an internet search (and YouTube tutorials). There is no reason why anyone ever has to say, "I don't know..." or "How do I..."

I've got news for you Margaret, at 76 you "are" one of our elders LOL.

But yeah, it is becoming impossible to navigate the world without embracing modern tech and it's not always better than doing things the old fashioned way.