old people and technology Archives

Too many photos – how to save them

Apr

13

2018

I’m worried about all the photos we have. There are way too many and I don’t know how we’re going to deal with them all. I’m not talking about the estimated trillion-plus photographs per year being taken by the 7-billion people worldwide who have cellphones. That is obviously a cause for concern, but I’m worrying ...

Facebook: Repository of Aging Adults

Jan

26

2018

When Facebook was launched nearly 15 years ago it was a hangout of the youth. Older users were few and far between. But now older people are the main age group joining up. Young people not so much – in fact, many are reportedly fleeing Facebook to other social media. “Teens just want to be ...

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it 1

Aug

11

2017

As with many an old adage, there’s truth in the Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix advice. But it is also true that if something is broken, it is harder than ever to get it fixed. What was once quaintly called “make do and mend” is Not A Thing. Not any more. For a range of reasons. It’s ...

Proofreading – is it still a thing? 3

Jun

30

2017

Is proofreading even a thing any more? My New Old Self feels strongly that proofreading should still be a thing. “Is it even a thing?” Look it up! Being a thing is totally a thing now, by the way. The phrase, “Is it even a thing?” recently made it into the Cambridge Dictionary. The definition: ...

Elders + Tech = Laughs

Jun

1

2017

Your intrepid correspondent on the Elder Watch beat considers it a key duty to keep you up to date where technology is concerned. Not about the latest technological developments. Forget that, I battle to keep up with the ever-changing tech world like most of us whose lives have straddled the Digital Divide. Besides, youthful tech ...

“For You” = especially for me?

Apr

21

2017

“For You” – that was the tag on a present I recently received. It wasn’t giftwrapped and tied with a ribbon, but delivered to me digitally. It was a collection of music put together especially for me. Kind of like those mixtapes we used to make back in the pre-digital era. Algo-Rhythm “For You” was ...

Insights from the TV Guide

Apr

13

2017

I recently gained some new insights into aging from a rather unexpected source: the TV Guide. I’m talking about the magazine. I wasn’t clicking or scrolling through an online version or navigating the one on my TV screen. I was paging through the printed guide published monthly for subscribers of DSTV, featuring schedules of all ...

Y2K + Millennials 1

Dec

29

2016

The Not-so-new Millennium As 2016 nears its end, I’ve been thinking back to that famous New Year’s Eve when we welcomed the 21st century – and all the fearmongering leading up to it. You remember Y2K – which turned out to be Apocalypse Not. You remember the widespread hoarding of canned food and candles in response to dire ...

Family Tech Support Guy to the rescue 1

Dec

16

2016

“Do you have any games?” asked a boy of 5 who was visiting. Surrounded by grown-ups, lacking any kids his age to play with, he was understandably bored. I had to think a moment before responding, for it has been awhile since my home was geared for children’s activities. I was trying to remember where ...

What should we get for free?

Nov

3

2016

“I got it for free!” How we love to boast about this. For me it’s a rare claim, usually born of luck. In contrast to those younger than me, who seem to see non-payment as the norm. This is yet another of the many differences between my generation and the one below. The youth have ...