Are your parents as technologically clueless as mine?

  • Thread starter Thread starter FalconOne
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around humorous anecdotes and experiences related to the technological challenges faced by participants' parents and older relatives. It includes various aspects of technology use, misunderstandings, and generational differences in adapting to modern devices and the internet.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants share comical stories about their parents' struggles with technology, such as using outdated internet connections and misunderstanding basic functions of devices.
  • One participant mentions their mother's confusion over email etiquette, specifically putting the entire message in the subject line.
  • Another participant reflects on their father's attempts to use tools inappropriately, such as using metal pliers on an electrical socket.
  • Several participants highlight the generational gap in technology use, with some expressing that older relatives have difficulty with modern appliances and software.
  • There are mentions of specific devices, like the Kindle Fire, and frustrations with their interfaces, indicating a shared experience of technological challenges.
  • Some participants note that despite their parents' struggles, they have managed to learn some technology skills, while others express that their relatives remain baffled by certain devices.
  • One participant humorously points out that their boyfriend's dad rewinds DVDs, showcasing a nostalgic reference to older technology practices.
  • Another participant shares an experience of guiding their mother through using accounting software, illustrating the challenges of remote tech support.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the humorous nature of the anecdotes shared, but there are multiple competing views regarding the extent of technological cluelessness among their parents and relatives. The discussion remains unresolved as different experiences and perspectives are presented.

Contextual Notes

Some comments reflect limitations in understanding modern technology, and there are references to outdated practices that may not apply universally. The discussion includes a mix of personal anecdotes and broader observations about generational differences in technology use.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in generational technology gaps, humorous anecdotes about technology use, and the challenges faced by older adults in adapting to modern devices may find this discussion relatable.

FalconOne
Messages
40
Reaction score
0
I love being home for break. I get to see so many comical things that my parents try to do when it involves technology, even though it's pretty painful to watch (and sometimes it's impossible to be able to upload documents because of them).

My mom tried hooking up our Xbox to our dial up internet and got mad that Call of Duty doesn't load when my brother tries to play it online. She also thought it would only take about 20 minutes to upload a 20 minute video to YouTube on 28.8K dial up. Instead, it took over 2 days. She also didn't understand that setting a YouTube video to private means that people can't see it. My dad tried taking a lodged piece of metal out of the electrical socket with metal pliers. Dad calls highlighting text "making it blue".
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Wait until you have kids.
 
I have you beat. My mom sent me an email and put the entire message in the subject line. Your mom is Mr. Wizard compared to mine.
 
Mark Twain:

"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years."
 
People still have dial up internet?
 
I have you beat. My mom sent me an email and put the entire message in the subject line. Your mom is Mr. Wizard compared to mine.

That is fantastic. I wonder what she thought about the big white box underneath the subject line.

People still have dial up internet?

Of course. I live in rural America. Our Walmart closes at 9 PM, also. Verizon Wireless doesn't even service my county.
 
FalconOne said:
Of course. I live in rural America. Our Walmart closes at 9 PM, also. Verizon Wireless doesn't even service my county.

Geez, I lived in rural Canada, Saskatchewan to be specific; 2.5 hours from any big city. We were still able to get high speed about 5 years back.
 
There is an area about 60 miles west of where I live that does not have a zip code. It's mostly low mountains (hills as far as I'm concerned) and valleys. Parts of it have no electricity.
 
My wife wanted a Kindle Fire because a couple of her friends have them. I might be technologically clueless, because it took me about an hour to get that POS to communicate with my wireless router. The Kindle interface is as about as un-intuitive as I could have imagined. Amazon kept prompting me to set up "one touch" purchases, which is pretty stupid, because if my wife wanted to get more information about a film and clicked on it, she would already have bought it on my credit card. Not good.
 
  • #10
No, no, the Kindle Fire is BAD. I agree. You're good. ;-)
 
  • #11
leroyjenkens said:
I have you beat. My mom sent me an email and put the entire message in the subject line. Your mom is Mr. Wizard compared to mine.

LOL@ both handle and post.

My mom is absolutely terrified of her PC, but she's a boss with the iPad. I showed her some C++ code once and she tried to punch me in the face.
 
  • #12
28.8k! It probably takes you 5 minutes just to load this page!

I don't have any overly technologically-backwards relatives. Well, I do have an uncle who says "download" for any sort of data transfer. You know, just download that to a CD...
 
  • #13
When I used to paint in MS Paintbrush my mother would complain that I will use up total amount of colors available in the color slots of the window.
 
  • #14
My boyfriend's dad rewinds DVDs to the start position :biggrin:

His mom uses a cassette desk to record songs she plays on youtube, the equivalent of illegally downloading them :smile:
 
  • #15
Monique said:
My boyfriend's dad rewinds DVDs to the start position :biggrin:
The local video store had jackets on their VCR tapes that said "Be kind. Please rewind." Years after getting DVDs in their inventory, they were still using the same jackets.
 
  • #16
Kholdstare said:
When I used to paint in MS Paintbrush my mother would complain that I will use up total amount of colors available in the color slots of the window.

"How do you log a hard drive?"

No, it wasn't my Mom nor Dad.
 
  • #17
Monique said:
His mom uses a cassette desk to record songs she plays on youtube, the equivalent of illegally downloading them :smile:

LOL That's a good one.

Both my parents majored in computer science.
 
  • #18
My mom did not understand many functions of modern appliances. I had to coach her for those and she caught up quickly. In return she taught me some basics of cooking. My dad is good with home electrical repairs. But mobilephone baffles both to no end.
 
  • #19
Monique said:
My boyfriend's dad rewinds DVDs to the start position :biggrin:

His mom uses a cassette desk to record songs she plays on youtube, the equivalent of illegally downloading them :smile:
Unfortunately, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NK7E7Y/?tag=pfamazon01-20 doesn't sell them anymore.

311cZyUOdkL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
 
  • #20
My mum rang me up from work for her with her accounting software (Basically she couldn't find where it was saving too)

So she wanted to find a set of reports to check them against the paper copies.

So I google to find out where it saves to automatically and tell "Click My Computer" etc until she got to the reports bit.

Then I said "Open the report10something file" and she replies "Its in the filing cabinet, I'll go get it"

Facepalm ensued
 
  • #21
Does your computer come with a cup holder too?
 
  • #22
Jimmy Snyder said:
Does your computer come with a cup holder too?

I push a button and a tray comes out with a hole in it. Is it that? or should I call the shop?
 
  • #23
George Jones said:
Mark Twain:

"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years."

I love Mark Twain quotes, but I think that's talking about something other than the topic of this thread.
 
  • #24
The local JC has started a class to help older people learn how to uses their new electronic devices. According to the local news the first class was loaded with people who had new cameras.
 
  • #25
Electronic devices are changing at at an accelerated pace considering it was 9 years between Pong and Frogger.

Whut the heck is Pong and Frogger.
 

Similar threads

On-hold Audio recording change on tempo
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Is It Safe to Inject a COVID Booster Before the Alcohol Prep Pad Dries?
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
4K
Anyone sick and tired of all the fancy techy stuffs?
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
3K
Technology related hobby for a college student
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
4K
Fiance's parent's retirement (need advice)
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
6K
Can I Catch Up on Years of Math in Two Years for a High School Exam?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Graduate Focus all of your ire on me, if you would
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
Is LCEVC the Solution for Efficient 8K Television Compression?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Electronics Using photos for project front panel labels/artwork
  • · Replies 30 ·
2
Replies
30
Views
7K
If parents don't want you to study because they think it's useless?
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
7K