Technophobes Anonymous Archives

Unfollowers? Lucky I’m Too Old to have any!

May

7

2015

When I see the word “Unfollow” I immediately think: LITO! Perhaps you’ll recall the internet slang-style acronym My New Old Self coined for those situations where it’s actually better not to be young: LITO, meaning Lucky I’m Too Old. I enjoy finding opportunities to use LITO, if only to mutter it under my breath with ...

Still in the CD past – like a stuck record 1

Apr

10

2015

I remember a day in the 80s when a friend proudly unveiled his new music system. We were still listening to cassettes but he had switched to the latest format. You had to buy new equipment to play those shiny disks, but prices came down and soon we were all listening to CDs. I don’t ...

Device overload? LITO! 1

Mar

11

2015

Here’s an opportunity to use my new acronym for those aging in the digital age: LITO, for Lucky I’m Too Old. There is growing evidence linking overuse of digital devices to memory loss and depression in later life. My response? LITO! Lucky I’m Too Old to worry about things that may happen decades hence. Lucky ...

Call me a Luddite but I choose paper 1

Feb

3

2015

My New Old Self was so pleased to receive this response to the recent post on “Paper vs Digital Calendars” – and even more pleased that Fiona Adams was happy for her comments to be posted here. People in my life who are far more IT-savvy than me have often tried to persuade me switch ...

Top Tech Tips 4 Older People 1

Jan

29

2015

It sounds like a Haiku poem but this is the name of a new research institute on aging (or ageing, as they spell it outside of North America): “Aging Gracefully Across Environments Using Technology to Support Wellness, Engagement and Long Life”. It made me think of all the euphemisms one hears in reference to aging. For ...

Older is better to avoid internet dangers

Dec

10

2014

Check out this video on the down side of the net from philosopher Alain de Botton and art curator Sophie Howarth’s School of Life – and see how much older people are doing right. We’re better than young people at doing a lot of the things recommended here to keep a balance between our online ...

LITO: Lucky I’m Too Old 1

Dec

3

2014

This is the first in an occasional series, LITO: Lucky I’m Too Old. (Yes, it is written in the dreaded “listicle” format, a list posing as an article, which has been proven to hook readers. I trust it’s working.) You may have noticed that internet and phone slang relies heavily on acronyms, the most common one ...

Old but not voiceless – I’d rather talk than text

Aug

13

2014

What kind of aptitude peaks when you’re a teenager, drops gradually throughout adulthood and declines rapidly in old age? Sexual prowess? Maths ability? Skateboarding? It’s your DQ. Digital Quotient is the newly coined measure of your digital learning capacity. I decided to take the online exam that the British national communications regulator Ofcom devised to determine ...

We get by with a little help from – our kids 2

May

8

2014

Meet Family Tech Support Guy. He’s the star of an internet meme that’s popular with “those who understand the torture of being birthed in a modern generation by parents who weren’t”. In keeping with My New Old Self’s commitment to leaving no older person behind, I’ll pause to make sure that everyone’s on the same page, ...

My Personalized Web? No Thanks 1

Mar

13

2014

“What’s it like?“ you ask (about anything). After a pause comes the answer: “It’s different.” Then you’ll want to know “Good different or bad different?” As you get older, even if the answer is “Good” you may not want to go there. Simply because Different isn’t The Same. The Same is safe. It’s what you ...