Growing Old With Hi Technology

L

Lon

Well-known Member
Location
Central California
I am no computer Geek by a long shot but have had access and used some form of computer systems since 1974 and then purchasing my first desk top [n 1980 and then a Toshiba laptop in 1990.
More recently a HP Pavillion laptop, a I Pad and I Phone. MY POINT? Now that I am almost 83 years old and single I have found that I have made my life very comfortable and maintained my independence because of high tech. I feel sorry for many of my Peer Group that don't have a cell phone, let alone a smart phone. Many have never heard of Netflix or Amazon, and don't know a Google from a Boogle, and they have lost their independence to a large degree.
Of all the different devices that I have used over the years I find the SMART PHONE, In my case a I Phone ( which is my only phone) to be the most beneficial in too many ways to enumerate.

MY ADVICE to those of you in your 50's & 60'. Get with it. To what extent you can afford it, get a smart phone, upgrade your computer, take some classes at your community college or Senior facilities. Don't reach 80 years old and be completely in the dark as I see many of my neighbors.
 

We lived just fine and dandy without the internet. That said, I like shopping online and have spent way too much on Etsy. I've even thought if I'm fully retired getting rid of internet for a time. Will depend on what I can afford. I don't need a fancy phone. Mine is for emergencies only. I don't need to be connected to the internet 24/7. I'm sick of seeing people even at work staring at some small screen when they should not be. Everyone is different in what their needs are.
 
Good luck to you,personally I think smart phones are the biggest abomination of the 20th century,must be the worse invention ever...reasons,too many to mention.:mad:
 

I agree Lon, I think that technology can be a huge benefit to keeping seniors mentally active, connected, independent and safe.

I think that in another 10 years this will be considered the dark ages, the best is yet to be imagined.
 
Being a closet Luddite, at times I can look at all the tech and feel the urge to kick it into oblivion.

At other times I thank the inventors for the chance to reach out to the world and discover new and exciting things.

Could I survive without it? Sure. Would I want to? Not really.
 
Yow Lon, good to find some common ground with you for a change:D I have to totally agree, I'm only 54 and realize I have to pull my anti-tech head out of the sand...to an extent, I'm not giving up my actual pens and actual notebooks just yet. But I plan on taking several of those adult school electronics courses. My grand boy is just a toddler and already knows a few keys on his Mom's phone. At the moment that's more than I know.
 
I had Uber take me to the movies and then back home yesterday. Cost?? $5.00 going and $5.00 back home plus $5.00 Senior Rate for the movie I waited 5 minutes for my ride going and coming. I live in a town of 500,000 and there are a huge number of people that have signed up to drive for Uber. I sold my paid for car last week and now no longer pay for auto insurance, gas, oil, parking, etc.
I will be using Uber for all my driving needs. I used my I Phone to order up Uber with just a touch. GPS lets Uber know my location and I get to see on my phone screen the location of the vehicle picking me up and the wait time, picture of the driver and his name, picture of the vehicle and license number.
 
I am with you, Lon. I got my first computer in the early 90's and have not looked back, I really enjoy poking around the internet, finding things to learn, as well as things to challenge my brain. For those of us in our 60's or so, I am seeing more and more senior living communities being connected to some sort of technology, and many residents moving in already knowing how to use it. My phone is not smart, I rarely use it, and much prefer my land line.'''I am 62, and have an acquaintance who is just a year or so older, pretty smart, but insisting she is too old to learn anything new, and not even wanting to try. She has a cell phone, but tells people not to leave her a voice mail because she does not know how to retrieve it. She does not use her TV remote, as she claims she is unable to learn to use it, or program her tv to it. She has said she just does not want to be bothered learning new things. Where I, and many of us here, I am sure are always willing to jump at learning something new.
Though one thing I have not embrace is reading an ebook. I have tried, but much prefer the books we grew up with. I love technology, but also still want to unplug now and then.
 
I agree Marie...for all the free ebooks and everything else people like about electronic readers, I'd rather have a real live actual paper book in my paws.
 
I'm with Lon on this one.
The new technologies have a lot to offer all of us, especially as we begin to lose the ability to move around as freely as before.
It is the nature of this technology to be constantly changing, and so we lest we be left stranded like a pod of whales on a beach.
 
70 and still working... for a few more weeks... have kept up with technology. "Forced" to use a company provided laptop and "forced" to purchase my own Smartphone. It's all been good! Upon retirement, I will retain a laptop and/or tablet. The Smartphone will probably be tossed as far as my arm will throw the thing!!! Yes, I'll end up going back to a "flip phone" to have around in case of emergency. Just don't want to be one of those who can't use the toilet without first checking for texts, etc.

My wife, the most beautiful lady in the world, is BLONDE!!! She has always had difficulty putting Tab "A" into Slot "B". Today, she has her own laptop, tablet, and Smartphone... and uses them all. Laptop does most of our on-line banking, etc. Her tablet is her e-reader, Words With Friends gadget, e-mail provider, etc. It's really been used lots! Her Smartphone seems to be always beeping with a text from someone. She, too, is still working full time. HATES the computers at work. Fights them. Comes home and masters anything put in front of her.

Technology is one of the huge changes we've seen in our lifetimes. It took weeks for letters from my Dad to reach home from Europe in WWII. Our son has been able to converse via Skype, e-mail, etc. when deployed in today's Army. Growing up, we couldn't make long-distance calls after 10 p.m. And, long distance calls cost a small fortune. Today, we talk across the globe 24/7 with this little think in our pocket. Encyclopedia Britannica was outdated before it was printed. Today, Google has information up to the minute.
 
Lon said:
To each his own--BTW I love Melbourne
Click to expand...

Well that`s nice,thanks Lon,BTW agree with most of your sentiments,just Cell/Mobile phones,would have to be the most antisocial and dangerous item ever invented..(Or at least many of the users are)..keep smiling!!
 
Two teen girls were just killed on a local highway while they were posting a live video to Facebook. A tractor trailer went right through them because they had slowed down.

Yes, tech is great, but it also comes at a price.
 
Hi level technology can save lives. Bush fires are a hazard in Australia in every Spring/Summer.
This new app being developed for high end tablets aims to track/predict the most likely path of the fire front.

http://www.smh.com.au/wa-news/new-t...0161208-gt6vun.html?google_editors_picks=true

Then residents can be advised via mobile phones equipped with GPS using text messages.
The people most likely not to receive the messages are the elderly who refuse to adapt to modern technology.
 
Never ever rely on that sort of communication for safety,far too many black spots in the country especially!!....friends who often ring me on there so called SMART phones drop out all the time or break up and that is in the metro area,telling people to rely on that technology in a life or death situation totally irresponsible....listen to radio (ABC) for info far more reliable!!
 
Warrigal said:
Hi level technology can save lives. Bush fires are a hazard in Australia in every Spring/Summer.
This new app being developed for high end tablets aims to track/predict the most likely path of the fire front.

http://www.smh.com.au/wa-news/new-t...0161208-gt6vun.html?google_editors_picks=true

Then residents can be advised via mobile phones equipped with GPS using text messages.
The people most likely not to receive the messages are the elderly who refuse to adapt to modern technology.
Click to expand...


Sadly, not all seniors, or others for that matter, can afford costly modern technology.
 
I'm in my late 60's and I bought my first computer in the early 90's. I can't imagine living without them. I took my first computer apart to install a sound card that didn't come with it and later upgraded graphics cards, memory and other devices. Everything was so expensive that I couldn't afford to take it to the store to have them install things. I remember getting a computer with 8 MB of RAM and a 320 MB hard drive and wondering if I would ever need all that memory and hard drive space!

I remember when I thought fax machines were the greatest thing since sliced bread. Imagine being able to send written material across the country in minutes, make changes on it and send it back. Now with email it's so much faster. Or
we can speak on a conference call and have documents on all of our desktops at the same time that we can all see and mark up in real time while talking. Who could have imagined that 15 years ago?

Toward the end of the 90's, before Skype, I hooked up an old videocam and did video conferencing, without sound, using the keyboard for talking. The connection was slow and the video was choppy until I discovered Ricochet from Metricom which was wireless and a little better. I used that for internet until broadband cable came to our area.

My first cell phone was an installed car phone around 1985 in a company car. It was huge. They got smaller over the years and eventually detached from the car. I am totally amazed by technology today and that a little iPhone has so much more power and storage than my first desktop computer. Wifi and being unleashed from cords around the house, streaming music and video, Alexa who can control music, lights and sprinkler timer with the sound of our voices, shopping online. I'm in awe. And technology moves ahead so quickly. Imagine what will be possible even 2 years from now that isn't possible today. I love this stuff!
 
I have friends in my age group who don't use computers or as in the case of my older sister, only for business purposes. One friend has a smart phone but really does not know how to use it. He doesn't want to even be bothered with a computer. My best friend finally got an iPad a couple of years ago. I was so happy for us! Now it's easier to send her things and stay connected since she's on the road a lot (musician). My husband bought a computer here around 1998. He thought I was going to help with doing forms for his store. Turns out I hit the information super highway with the pedal to the metal and haven't stopped since. During that time, he had a beautiful (tower model) computer made for me. Then when that went, I got a MAC. Am on my second MAC now. I had the iPhone 4 but when the battery lost most of it's life, I switched to Metro PCS which has a much cheaper plan for better and faster coverage than I was getting with Sprint. The hot spot coverage is great and I can wirelessly connect my tablet to Metro's wi fi without charge. I think Sprint was charging $10 a month at the time. My phone and tablet are both Samsung and I like the Android system better.

I can't imagine living with my smart phone or tablet now. Besides checking my email, documents and playing Words With Friends, some of the other uses include scheduler, calculator, password keeper, internet browser, camera, video, voice recorder, GPS e-books, music player and library, document keeper, mini arcade, notepad and apps for watching YouTube and T.V. programs and even an app for finding medical care wherever you happen to be. I also can't live without Soundhound, an app that will listen to a song that's playing and tell you what it is. I wish I'd had it years ago. I do not and probably will not use the wallet feature. I still use my iPhone to play music since there's something wrong with my classic iPod. Have to keep charging that phone though.
 
Our kids introduced us to the internet/email in the late 90s with a WebTV unit. It was a set top box that plugged into TV, a power outlet and a phone jack. It displayed on the TV screen. We could email the kids who were 3 time zones away and they could reply at their convenience. Eventually we moved on to a desktop and have had several since. At this time we have his and hers desktops. I don't see any laptops in our future.

My biggest gripe is learning to use a new device when it comes along. I won a Kindle Fire in a contest a couple of years ago, but it is rarely used. It is just easier to use the familiar desktop. I will be 83 on Feb 21, which puts me in Lon's league age wise.

I have no plans to give up my convertible, I enjoy it too much. I doubt that there are any Uber convertibles.
 
Lon said:
I am no computer Geek by a long shot but have had access and used some form of computer systems since 1974 and then purchasing my first desk top [n 1980 and then a Toshiba laptop in 1990.
More recently a HP Pavillion laptop, a I Pad and I Phone. MY POINT? Now that I am almost 83 years old and single I have found that I have made my life very comfortable and maintained my independence because of high tech. I feel sorry for many of my Peer Group that don't have a cell phone, let alone a smart phone. Many have never heard of Netflix or Amazon, and don't know a Google from a Boogle, and they have lost their independence to a large degree.
Of all the different devices that I have used over the years I find the SMART PHONE, In my case a I Phone ( which is my only phone) to be the most beneficial in too many ways to enumerate.

MY ADVICE to those of you in your 50's & 60'. Get with it. To what extent you can afford it, get a smart phone, upgrade your computer, take some classes at your community college or Senior facilities. Don't reach 80 years old and be completely in the dark as I see many of my neighbors.
Click to expand...
Imo, anyone over 50 who refuses to get tech-savvy is making a mistake. It's just a way of everyday life now, and it can be such a convenience. I've a smartphone, but also have a landline. I have mobile devices in addition to my pc, and consider myself very savvy, completely self-taught, but I don't spend an abundance of time on any of the devices, just a few minutes here and there. It's all about moderation. There is a lot of bad stuff lurking online, but an amazing treasure trove of education and information and beautiful images and wonderful music, etc. The problem is when people become so dependent and obsessed with technology - and especially social media - to the exclusion of 'real life' and real relationships and it's also quite sad that kids seem to know nothing else. I am so glad to have grown up as a child of the fifties when simple things meant a lot.
 
So what am I, Tech "savvy" or a Luddite? I spent my working life in electronics and IT - in both engineering and software development. I can write programs in a number of different languages and have both laptop and desktop PCs at home.. I'm currently learning 'Python' to write applications on my Linux laptop. Helps to keep the 'gray cells' active.

Do I have a smart phone - NO. Do I use Facebook, Twitter etc... Definitely NO. You hit the nail on the head, Silla. Too many people are like slaves to technology and I doubt if they could tie their own shoelaces without an "app" to show them how. For most of my life, much of today's technology didn't exist, and we learned the skills to do without. I don't need a smartphone or a thousand "virtual friends". I have a basic mobile phone and some real friends.

I don't want anyone telling me I should keep up to date with the latest technology. I'll decide what I need.
 

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