Growing Old With Hi Technology

I'm lucky my wife pushed me into learning how to use computers before she passed on, now I know the basics and all I need to. I'll never be one of those people glued to their phones there's too much good living and good people I'd miss out on. The younger generation is anti-social from too much of social media.
 

We just bought a brand new Asus desktop computer with 16 RAM and 2T storage. I have used computers for the last 25 years. However, I don't allow computer and phones control my life. I get sick and tired watching all those losers in the mall staring at their idiot phones. No one needs to be a slave and there are a lot of slaves out there. People need to get a life. Try talking to people, learn to play an instrument, visit the library, go for a walk, etc. We have a bad health problem with people in North America sitting around too much.
 

I adore the techy side of my brain and the ease it has brought to my life. People I would never have met walking out my front door are now good friends because of the elimination of physical miles the Internet allows. I have been on computers since a "message board" resembled a Western Union telegram and html was an evil necessity and now, with a tap on a keyboard, I can share my life when and if I want. Frankly, I wouldn't want to be without my connections to the Internet world: my family through my Smart phone, my creative outlets on Etsy, the instantaneous information of the world that affects me, a permanent soapbox on message boards to "let the opinions flow", shopping without parking in bad weather!, movies...movies...MOVIES... and silly games when a girl just wants to have by-herself fun.

I would never want to limit the possibilities of keeping me informed, thinking, laughing and growing. I simply avoid the ugly places and ignore the ugly souls.

The keen thing is, I am also able to choose when to step away from the techy life. And I take advantage of it. Quiet downtime. Breathing in breathing out perched in the rocking chair with my feet propped on the wood railing of my front porch watching whatever happens to go by. A good book accompanied by the silent symphony of air drifting in an open window. The company of my kitties who will forever love me unconditionally. Chai latte tea with a few chosen gal pals from work in a local, laid back, hole-in-the-wall cafe. A trip to the library where getting lost is a safe but never ending adventure.

Balance.:tranquillity:
 
I love my computer. I bank and shop, I have a game on facebook I enjoy a lot. It's a sort of 3D landscaping game and best played in front of a big monitor. It's fun creating things with it. I do have an Android phone, I only use it to call and text and I don't do very much of that. I have solitaire on there in case I sit in a waiting room someplace and get bored. Much of the time it just lives (and dies) in my purse. I have a tablet I never use, and a kindle I keep bunches of books on. I keep it charged so if the electricity goes down, I always have a bunch to read. I like spending time outdoors and fiddle with plants or play with dogs...in Winter I spend more time on the computer. I wouldn't call myself savvy - I can handle computers and upgrade every so often, I can use the phone for everything it can do but choose not to, and I do stay educated on the stuff. But, while I love browsing the web, the sun will always call me out and I forget all about the electronics.
 
kburra said:
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:
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Unrepentant telephone Luddite here who doesn't and won't ever own a smart phone. I have a basic Trac phone that lives in a drawer, waiting for emergencies, but I don't do phone calls. My preference is email and Skype. I do have a land line with an answering machine, as I never pick up if it rings.

I feel sorry for all the people with eyes so firmly fixed on their tiny screens all day long, they miss what's going on all around them.

I'd have to say a bigger abomination to me is social media -- I don't tweet, Instagram, or Fakebook. TO BE FAIR, I totally understand the appeal of both smart phones and social media to all of you seniors who keep in touch with family and friends through those outlets. My situation is unusual because it's just the two of us, no kids and no family members to contact.

I'm too busy with farm activities and my hobby pursuits to invest in any more time online than I'm going to spend here and other favorite sites. :)
 
Redlo Nosrep said:
Unrepentant telephone Luddite here who doesn't and won't ever own a smart phone. I have a basic Trac phone that lives in a drawer, waiting for emergencies, but I don't do phone calls. My preference is email and Skype. I do have a land line with an answering machine, as I never pick up if it rings.

I feel sorry for all the people with eyes so firmly fixed on their tiny screens all day long, they miss what's going on all around them.

I'd have to say a bigger abomination to me is social media -- I don't tweet, Instagram, or Fakebook. TO BE FAIR, I totally understand the appeal of both smart phones and social media to all of you seniors who keep in touch with family and friends through those outlets. My situation is unusual because it's just the two of us, no kids and no family members to contact.
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I'm a lot like you Redlo, no kids or family members to contact every day, will send an email or make a long distance call from my landline a few times a year and that's about it. We also have one Tracfone that we share, whoever is going out takes it, or one of us will just have it off in our pocket for emergencies. No internet connection used with it, etc. I don't see myself ever getting a smart phone, TV or anything like that.

I'm amazed at how many people of all ages walk around with their heads down, looking at their device.....even while driving. :mad: I don't and never have belonged to facebook, twitter or instagram, but I understand also that people use those means to keep in contact with family. I prefer sending a few pics in an intimate email instead of posting everything on the WWW.
 
Yesterday I arraigned an appointment with our plumber to replace the water mixing valve on our tub/shower unit. I had to select the unit I wanted from some style options and he asked if I wanted a "digital mixing valve". Digital really? For a tub faucet? ;);)
 
I had a friend over yesterday and after a while he asked me what time was it. You should have seen is face when I asked Alexa!!!
 
kburra said:
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!!
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It's not the devices that are anti social. It's the people that use them and HOW they use them,
 
How wonderful that you have embraced technology and are obviously using it to your benefit Lon. I too marvel at all the things available to us and try to stay relatively current. I had an iPhone for maybe four years. Going from the Blackberry to the iPhone was like going from the 8th grade to college. When it started losing battery life too quickly, I got an cheap Android phone because I needed a phone fast, then upgraded to a Samsung Prime I got as a gift about 8 months later. I changed from Sprint to MetroPCS which I'm very happy with. I can get secure WiFi for my tablet using my phone when we're away and it costs nothing. I was told that it would cost about $10 a month with Sprint. BTW, I still have my iPhone. I used it for pictures sometimes and to listen to music since my classic iPod no longer works. I had gotten a Samsung tablet before I got the Samsung phone and I really do like the Android system. It took me a long time to be interested in getting a tablet. Got a real cheap one for sitting through a timeshare upgrade presentation. After about 6 months I wanted a better one so I could take full advantage of all the apps available, some of which are actual money savers.

Who would have thought when we were growing up that we'd be able to have phone conversations on the go (remember how futuristic it seemed on Star Trek?). Who would have thought we could watch T.V., load our entire music libraries and listen to music, order food and transportation, take pictures, receive mail, deposit checks, pay bills, buy groceries and play games from a phone! I'm just turning 70 this week but I hope I live at least as long as you so I can see what technological advances they will have invented by that time. I have a friend who doesn't even own a computer and has smart phones (gotten as a gift) that he doesn't know how to take full advantage of.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
How wonderful that you have embraced technology and are obviously using it to your benefit Lon. I too marvel at all the things available to us and try to stay relatively current. I had an iPhone for maybe four years. Going from the Blackberry to the iPhone was like going from the 8th grade to college. When it started losing battery life too quickly, I got an cheap Android phone because I needed a phone fast, then upgraded to a Samsung Prime I got as a gift about 8 months later. I changed from Sprint to MetroPCS which I'm very happy with. I can get secure WiFi for my tablet using my phone when we're away and it costs nothing. I was told that it would cost about $10 a month with Sprint. BTW, I still have my iPhone. I used it for pictures sometimes and to listen to music since my classic iPod no longer works. I had gotten a Samsung tablet before I got the Samsung phone and I really do like the Android system. It took me a long time to be interested in getting a tablet. Got a real cheap one for sitting through a timeshare upgrade presentation. After about 6 months I wanted a better one so I could take full advantage of all the apps available, some of which are actual money savers.

Who would have thought when we were growing up that we'd be able to have phone conversations on the go (remember how futuristic it seemed on Star Trek?). Who would have thought we could watch T.V., load our entire music libraries and listen to music, order food and transportation, take pictures, receive mail, deposit checks, pay bills, buy groceries and play games from a phone! I'm just turning 70 this week but I hope I live at least as long as you so I can see what technological advances they will have invented by that time. I have a friend who doesn't even own a computer and has smart phones (gotten as a gift) that he doesn't know how to take full advantage of.
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Get yourself one of the lip stick size storage chargers for your I Phone. They are cheap, portable and will recharge your I Phone quickly.
 

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