Digital Natives Archives - My New Old Self

Who wants self-destructing messages? 1

Feb

23

2017

“This tape will self-destruct in 5 seconds.” Those words were immortalised by the Mission Impossible spy thriller TV series. This warning of the imminent self-destructing of the taped message to the Impossible Missions Force launched every episode and cued the theme music. Since Hollywood helps us share memories across the ages, younger people will also recognise ...

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 ...

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 ...

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, ...

Cherishing the Feel and Smell of Paper 1

Nov

22

2013

My New Old Self recently expanded from cyberspace into the world of hard copy. After launching a blog about getting older, I accepted an invitation to write a fortnightly column in a local newspaper. It was like coming home, to wake up and find the paper waiting on my doorstep, then to open it and ...