When my mother in law first got a smartphone she felt it was too complicated. She ‘learned’ how to operate it and use all of its apps. I remember how she would write down steps on pieces of paper for how to create contacts, send messages and use other apps. My father in law still won’t use a smartphone. So this Twitter post about a dad writing down the steps for using an Uber app really resonated with me – and many others.
Check out the step by step instructions for booking a cab including ‘black page’ and ‘loading’ etc.
There are many on social media who identify with this post because this is exactly how their parents or older relatives manage with technology.
Some thought it was a great way to help older people learn technology that they are unfamiliar with – with the help of technology that they are familiar with: i.e. pen and paper
Many seniors tend to be intimidated by technology and simply ask others to do the needful. The fact that this dad showed determination to figure out something that he found difficult shows the will to be self-reliant and the willingness to try unfamiliar things.
We did much the same trying to master simple tasks as children when parents taught us. Now parents are learning – in their own way.
Some expressed the view that product developers are perhaps taking the tech abilities of their users for granted; and that they aren't really designing things with older people in mind.
This tweet expresses the view that perhaps there is a need to develop one single, simple app that would help seniors easily access all others. More tech to simplify tech? Doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but maybe it could work.
It is real only if you can touch, feel and hold it – online doesn’t really work for some older people. This is of a piece with that.
Like me, a lot of people identified with the dad who wrote down instructions for calling an Uber with pen and paper. I think we all identify.
Technology keeps progressing, improving and evolving. Will our tweets be similarly displayed in ten, twenty, thirty years, asks this tweet.
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