“All you have to do is…” Those words grabbed my attention. I was sitting at a table in the Grand Marais senior center along with several other people and a conglomeration of laptops, smart phones and tablets. Help was being offered for those of us trying to keep up with technology. A young man had uttered the above words as he demonstrated how to perform a technical task.
I’ve heard that sentence so many times I lost count as technical expert after technical expert explained how to perform a technical task. It began years ago when personal computers were new, and I struggled to understand. Thankfully, Community Education offered numerous “how to” classes that were helpful.
Unfortunately, every few years, the technology changed. I recall sitting in the computer room at the high school, listening to instructions on the use of Windows 95. I got pretty good at that, but in a few years, everything updated, and I was forced to master new skills. I’m currently struggling to understand Windows 10. I suppose I’ll finally “get it” and the computer world will change again.
And don’t get me started on cell phones. Back in simpler times, I loved my little flip/phone. It was easy. Its main purpose was to communicate. When I punched in the numbers and held a conversation, there was no stress.
However, I finally let myself be talked into a more advanced technology and got a smart phone. Now I find myself coddling a prima donna. My smart phone acts like a toddler. I have to feed (charge) it and clean it and watch out for bad guys who might hack it. It constantly demands attention; it wants an update or its settings changed… or the data storage emptied.
I’ve thought of abandoning it in a trash receptacle on the freeway, but it’d probably lead law enforcement right back to me.
The only aspect of my smart phone I love is the camera. I’d miss the picture taking ability, and there you have it – my technological weak point.
Several years ago, when I bought my first smart phone, the young man at Radio Shack (when there still was a Radio Shack) explained the various tasks my new phone could perform. I looked at him with bleary eyes. “Could you show me how to turn it on again?”
“Sure,” he said. “All you have to do is…”
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