My Tip For ALL Seniors

My husband had a computer in the house, that was his profession...1980....After 9/11 he had another state of the Art computer to work at home for 3 days a week, he worked across
the Hudson River so the company had people working at home....It was for safety....It was a terrible time in our life....I worked in a school and we had computers....So when I retired
in 2006 my husband bought me a lap top....I now have my 3rd one.....
 

fmdog44 said:
I just got off line on installing a new thermostat and they have Wi Fi systems that work your temperature, your door locks, your phone your home security and I have no sue for any of it. Get off your butt and go adjust thermostat, go lock the door, go start your car! The opposite of "go" is "stop" and if you stop going your heart will also stop.
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Can we assume that you don’t use the remote control for your TV??
 
I've always resisted being monitored by big brother and I still have my old flip phone but I can see advantages in moving to a smartphone or some other forms of new technology as I get older.

I'm getting to the point where I will soon need a big brother watching over me and the new 911/smartphone tracking could be an advantage and represent a saving over some type of additional medic alert system.

I'm also excited about the various services and apps that are being developed which could help seniors age in place. Things like ride sharing, bill paying, meal delivery, banking, shopping, and just some fun/interesting things that help me to stay connected with the world around me.

Technology, what harm can it do at my age, LOL!!!
 

Meanderer said:
There are many people, of all ages, who do not embrace technology. They refuse to be herded like sheep, by the advertising industries efforts to push the latest gadgets on them. It's still OK to be an individual, and choose your own lifestyle. People shouldn't be judged by the kind of phone they choose. Technology, in it's worst form, is really a type of addiction.
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True !

And that addiction keeps robbing you of your time and your money.
I saw a report about a popular computer game, "Candy Crush."
Like other such popular games, one must continue to pay extra
for certain 'assets' that might help win the game.

.
 
fmdog44 said:
I just got off line on installing a new thermostat and they have Wi Fi systems that work your temperature, your door locks, your phone your home security and I have no sue for any of it. Get off your butt and go adjust thermostat, go lock the door, go start your car! The opposite of "go" is "stop" and if you stop going your heart will also stop.
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Works for fetching water and firewood too

Seems folks have a penchant to create ease...then go to the gym
 
I’m with Lon on this one.

When I read these “evils of technology” threads (and we have a lot of them on here) I am reminded of my Great Uncle Clyde who felt the way about indoor plumbing. 😳 He was sure it signaled the downfall of civilization.

His lovely wife (I forget her name) had the good sense to tell him to get over himself.
 
Hoot N Annie said:
When I read these “evils of technology” threads (and we have a lot of them on here) I am reminded of my Great Uncle Clyde who felt the way about indoor plumbing. 😳 He was sure it signaled the downfall of civilization.
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When I was a young single mom, my toddler son and I lived in an old country farmhouse for about a year.
There was no bathroom. The only sink was the kitchen sink. Baths were in a large zinc tub in the kitchen
and the toilet was outside beyond the back yard [or a "chamber pot" in the bedroom.] Amazingly it worked out
and I had no problems.

Today, I live in a house with three bathrooms and five sinks. But when I have to pay high plumber costs...
I think about those good old days.

.
 
I built my first computer when I was 13 and only mainframes existed. I have been in all areas of the IT profession mostly in a corporate position. I am siting her typing on an Apple MacBook Pro with two Windows PCs and one desktop surrounding me. I have three iPads, an Apple Watch and iPhone. I have a lot of electronic devices hooked up to my home network. Technology was my life and hobby. When I move here none of my fiends owned smart phones or knew how to use a computer. Their wives did tough. It is still pretty much that way with the wives using and learning the technology and the husbands content not to. I found little in common with them as they did not even know much about search engines of social media, email, etc..

My dad died last year at 90. He lived alone for 20 years and unable to leave his house. I kept telling him to learn to use a computer so he could chat with others who shared his interest and communicate with the rest of the world. Computer illiteracy has been my job security for much of my adult life. My dad told me that he retired early because they were computerizing his job and he felt stupid because he did not understand it and retired early with a reduced pension. I once ran a company that I was computerizing and had one women refuse to use a computer and had to fire her despite her being one of the best employees. I offered to hire private teachers who deal with teaching older people how to use a computer at her home buy she flat out refused to accept new technology. I remember when I first setup my company for email. We had no one to email as most people had not even heard of it yet, I was working on the internet long before anyone outside of the government and Universities heard of it. There was such an uproar when we stopped typing memos, photocopying them and then mailing them out to 5 offices. Complaints of how impersonal they were, etc.. Now they cannot live without email. Same when I personally flew out to each office to install computers and teach the staff. They all complained and now they complain if the computer is down and I tell them to type up the documents until the computer or network is fixed.

However, senior citizens are still resistant to new technology. I help when I can and are have free training here but mostly women show up. I still have to email or call a wife to get hold of a male friend and have to bite my tongue when they are doing things that a PC can really help them with. It will get better as the younger generation ages.
 
Vinny said:
My dad died last year at 90. He lived alone for 20 years and unable to leave his house. I kept telling him to learn to use a computer so he could chat with others who shared his interest and communicate with the rest of the world.

.
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I used to love the computer that connected me and allowed me to chat with the world.
But now I am beginning to hate it... because of the abomination the world has become.
In other words, for me being connected and chatting with the world has become a negative.
 
KingsX said:
I used to love the computer that connected me and allowed me to chat with the world.
But now I am beginning to hate it... because of the abomination the world has become.
In other words, for me being connected and chatting with the world has become a negative.
Click to expand...

But you can always change this by not connecting.
 
Hi Vinny, Just wanted to stop by and add my comments, as a way of saying I too started in computers when I graduated in '60 (yes your heard right....1960) LOL. I started on a keypunch then graduated to the IBM mainframe and then went on to the Remington Rand mainframe when I started working for Douglas Aircraft on the Saturn rocket in Calif. which had huge round tape machines that we had to change and print out from them. Anyway, I love the tech world, keep up with what is going on and if it interest me I will try it out. I can understand why some older folks don't want to use iPhones or computers...they have heard about all the negative comments and believe them, however, if they checked them out they would find most are false! But, if a person is scared to use computers or any other tech equipment...then there is no way anyone is going to change their minds...but then again a person must research what is great and not so great and avoid the worst of it. I think if you are connected with the world and your surroundings you are in a much better frame of mind. Have a blessed day!
F
 
Well, I'm definitely a techie! ;) Most everything I need to do or keep up with is either on my phone, my iPad or my MacBook, whether it's my grocery list or my taxes, address book or games (did someone mention Candy Crush? ;) ) my artwork or GPS, taking photos or posting to Facebook and instagram, to-do lists or banking, searching the web, posting on this forum.....so much more. It's all there, and shared between my devices so that I can access what I need when I need it, either when I'm on the go at work or on one of our mini get-aways, or out and about, or at home lying in bed or sitting on the couch or anywhere else.

My personal opinion is that there aren't too many lives out there that wouldn't be improved with a bit more technology ... "improved" being a relative term of course. And it's an opinion with a basis in fact. In my work, I've taught a number of seniors how to use a smart phone, how to operate a computer, have helped them set up email accounts, and get on Facebook, and use instagram, and text and FaceTime. Without exception, once they got beyond the learning curve, they have been amazed and elated at how it changed their lives for the better.

In their cases, it wasn't the FACT of technology that they disagreed with or were dubious about. It was the learning curve associated with the various devices, and it looked so complicated and how would they ever manage to learn all that stuff??? They're all old enough that I remind them that they used to operate a TV without a remote, but once they got a TV with a remote, they learned.... how to turn it on and off, change channels, search the onboard guide, navigate netflix and Showtime and all that. They learned how to operate their DVD player (if they're still using one) and their VCR before that. It was daunting too, but they figured it out. Same with this current batch of technology. They can learn just what they need to solve whatever problem they have or whatever it is they want to do, whether it's the fact that everyone has email but them and their friends are complaining, or they want to be able to FaceTime with their grandkids across the country, or they want to shop online! Whatever, it's all doable!

I found that approaching these clients with just ONE piece of technology at a time (email, or FaceTime, or whatever) made it so much easier for them to embrace it. And once they became comfortable with that one piece, they started getting interested in other pieces. But even if they didn't, that one piece that they wanted to learn made their life better.
 
I agree with Ronni.
Learn a little at a time and expand your brain.
In this age of high tech that has taken over, my feelings of learn or get left behind have made me want to get involved with what is happening. It is very good for your mental health as you conquer something new.

I really feel that if I refused to learn new technology, and not be part of it, that I would be shutting down!
That thought is what motivates me to live in the present and take on new challenges.
 
One would be surprised how simple and easy using a computer is . The biggest obstacle is fear !!!!!
conquor that and u are off to the races . I proved it with my father . He is 86 in April and he pays his bills - trades stock - receives and send emails . He has no education but a few short tutorials on how to use a computer . Smart phones are portable computers made for your pockets .
 

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