Let’s face it. We live in a time when being all thumbs is an asset!
Nothing has hit our generation like the age of technology has done. By the time newspapers reach your doorstep the news is old. Book stores are disappearing and record/CD stores are practically extinct. What do you do for music if you don’t do ITunes? Do your grandchildren even know what an encyclopedia is? Do you feel that younger folks often talk over your head to each other in a language you can’t fathom?Like it or not, the digital age is upon us. And we mustn’t let techno-ignorance divide us from the rest of the world.
The world is moving technologically wicked fast –and unless we keep up with the technology, it’s tough to keep current. Information moves at breathless speed. How can technologically illiterate people continue to get information and how can they learn to sift the good stuff from all the garbage out there?
It does no good to pretend that things are worse now than they used to be because of the evils of the Internet. Separating truth from trash was always hard work. Nothing new there. Nor does it help to believe the world should return to pre-tech days and ways. The world can’t and won’t, so let’s not get caught up in useless conjecturing. Besides, what’s different now is the way information is delivered and the technological language in which it is couched. Older people who don’t learn the new language will only be able to communicate mostly with their (technologically) illiterate peers.
We all know the evils of the Internet are legion. But so are the rewards –and it takes work if you didn’t grow up working those thumbs. First, your mind has to be open to accessing information in a new way. You must exorcise your technophobia. Just look around you at all the stupid and inept people that are able to surf the Internet and use their computers. If they can do it, so can you. (If you are reading this, of course you are on your computer but many of your friends are not and you may need to take them under your wing.) So many technophobics worry that if they make a mistake the computer will implode. IT WON’T.
So what are the rewards? Immediate and wide information gathering is one of the things I like best. Whole libraries are no farther away than my desktop. Of course, you have to be careful to gather information from sites that aren’t bogus or just trying to sell you something. I generally trust health information from the National Institute of Health (NIH) sites and medical school newsletters. For news and public affairs, it is important to check who is sponsoring the web site or blog. Rotten Tomatoes is one of my favorite sites for movie reviews from news sources all over the world. And Trip Advisor has proven to be very useful to me for trip planning. Before buying something big, I often check the impartial sites that offer detailed reviews of all brands and models. And there’s Skype! Artstor! Epicurious.com! My list of faves is endless. We’d love to hear about some of your favorite web sites and why you like them so much.
Somehow I am never lonely with my computer in front of me. I can pursue any interest, easily keep in touch with my far-flung family and friends, and never feel as though the world is passing me by. Well hardly ever. How does your participation (or lack thereof) in digital activities impact on your feelings of involvement in (or isolation from) the world you would like to inhabit? As always, we’d love to hear from you.
ElderChicks 
right on.. thank you……..couldn’t agree more!
No reason to not keep on learning. . .I’m 81 and regularly play Words With Friends (scrabble) on my cell phone with five different people. . bought Skype for my computer so I could really enjoy my first great grandchild. . am on Facebook and LinkedIn and check my business and personal e-mail a couple of times a day both on my computer and on my cell. Nothing annoys me more than my friends who still haven’t mastered e-mail. No excuse!
Nice article. You’ll love your IPhone!! I don’t use thumbs because I have fat stubby, arthritic ones. I just use one figer ad t wirks evwru thyme.
I can’t pass up the challenge of responding to this technology/isolation challenge! I’ve had a computer since the mid-80s, so that’s old hat. I’ve been emailing since the mid-90s and love that form of communication. On the Internet, I like to shop (overstock.com is fun), look up health topics (on gov or edu sites), and do research for my blog–which can take me anywhere. I recently learned the history of Redbook magazine. It was started as a literary magazine, and then, due to demographics, evolved into a women’s magazine. I love to learn new things!
A year ago I started the blog, something I never thought I would do, even though several writing teachers said I had to since I had a book coming out. Now I enjoy doing that writing and recently picked up a contract from an upline company to repost some of my blog posts. Who would have dreamed?
I never wanted to be on Facebook until my daughter signed me up before I could stop her. I’ve found this is an easy way to keep in touch with the younger generation. Living in a high rise with my husband, with few children in the building, I only need to sign in and, within a minute, I can read about the busy worlds of people generations younger than I. And I really enjoy their pictures.
Last, I’m a holdout on texting. But we’re due to upgrade our phones soon, so I’ll just have to say, “Never say never.”
I upgraded to an Iphone recently and find that texting is now so much easier. But I still prefer email to send brief messages. I like toi keep in touch with my family and friends but not every minute!
Bobby, I agree. I don’t need that every minute connectedness!
My mother had especially beautiful handwriting; she learned, she always told us, by “the Palmer method.” Many people have kept and treasured notes she sent them. As much as I appreciate sending out thoughts this way, it does strike me that while we’re stepping up the quantity of communication, there’s a quality that is lost when given up the physical act of writing to others, as so many of us seem to have done. Electronic greeting cards vs one that arrives in the mail with a personal message or just a signature? No contest!
I am still taking classes and learning excel so i can do my budget and medical history and get rid of stacks of paper.