You know how your parents or grandparents are too…old…to understand technology? How you can explain it slowly, simply but still no comprende? They cannot learn this crucial technology fast enough, and they need your help all the time. Technology matters to our daily lives. (Especially under quarantine lockdown where the only thing between most of us and a complete psychotic break is a little glowing screen.) I know not all of the boomer-plus set are lost when it comes to tech…many folks are savvy. My family runs the gamut from “Me Text You Long Time” with texts so long they should be an email to “Won’t Get a Facebook Page” even if they could see their grandkids’ daily life through that lens. I have a love hate relationship with technology myself, mostly because I am stupid.
While I do have a college degree and some lovely certifications, when it comes to technology, my brain reacts much in the same way it does to mathematics: “No Thanks”. It is a firm and swift “No Thank You”, curt and ungracious. While on the outside I appear a capable adult, on the inside I struggle with remembering the password I use on this site or that. I can manage people, a speaking business, continuing education, a church volunteer team and my family life…but I cannot log into my Canva account on the first try. Ever.
When this whole lockdown for the Corona Virus began, I was awesome. I set up a Zoom account without ever having used it before! I did this so my nine-year-old could have an online quarantine playdate with her friend. I created the meeting, sent the invite to my friend Becca and waited for the magic to start. Half an hour later when the playdate zoom meeting was to begin, I couldn’t log back in! My friend was texting to see where I was, her daughter had logged into the meeting and was ready and waiting. As I fervently attempted to log my kid in, my blood pressure skyrocketed. After several poor attempts to sign on to the meeting I had created, we handed over our phones so they could just use our FB messenger chat. UGH.
I try to get a lot of weird work done in little pockets of opportunity. I work part time for a church, and I also have a public speaking business. I am motivated and work best within my own flow, cramming days of work into a few focused, diligent hours…and nothing in between. (Nothing being family life, daily household care and before Covid-19, a social life!) When I’m creating marketing pieces and social media images and scheduling posts in Later.com I am creative, lively and competent. I love encouraging others to live well. Unfortunately, my dirty secret is it may take me up to an hour to get started once I sit at a computer, laptop or iPad. FORGOT PASSWORD leads to RESET PASSWORD and then which of my four emails did I use? Was it my professional password style or personal? Old one or newest one after I forgot the last time?
I wear myself out just getting ready to work with technology. Am I really just simple minded, or can some of you relate to this tech intelligence breach too? I think the solution could be using that ever popular Password1234 as my universal password. Maybe I need to throw an ampersand in there to honor the password request for a Capital letter, number, and symbol. I know the hackers could get into my accounts that way…. but maybe after they breach my checking account, they could tell me how to get in too?
I know these are great problems to have in the scope of life. I am also certain there are better solutions than throwing my device across the room or banging on it like an elevator door button, but I am not that mature yet. My husband tries to help me, based in his love for his wife, his desire to not have me break something and also a bit of fear at how loud I can yell at an unresponsive iPad. I love him for trying.
I hope to get better with age, with maturity. I’m not holding my breath, but I am holding hope. I love what I can do with tech when we get along, and I do not want to give up yet. Just don’t tell my husband I threw the laptop on the ground in frustration from another tech induced rage. I told him the kids broke it. They are the only ones smart enough to use it in the first place.
Music: "Satisfaction" by Devo
