this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2023
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[–] [email protected] 44 points 1 year ago (2 children)

My mom used to rely on me to do anything technical because I was around, and I was pretty good at it. Since I've moved out, she went from calling me all the time about anything to do with the computer to experimenting and learning a bit before she calls me. Overall, I'm proud of her for branching out and doing something challenging. With that being said, the other day I watched her not only print out a website rather than bookmark it, but the way she printed it was by opening word, using print screen to screen cap the site, pasting the screen cap into word and then printing it from word.

[–] [email protected] 38 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Incredible problem solving skills. She knows word is the print program and she figured out how to get the stuff from the internet into the print program!
We grew up with the technology, and understand how it works on a more basic level. But if you don't?
I'm really curious to see what will come along that will fuck with my understanding on the same level.

[–] kryptonicus 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I am absolutely terrified of the potential of real time deep fakes combined with AI voice impersonations being used to scam the elderly. Obviously, that's a ways off. But I fear it's not that far off.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

It will peak right about the time you become old.

[–] demlet 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well, I'm almost 49 and I honestly think AI is going to be my Achilles heel. It's not that I don't get it on a certain level, but I just don't give a shit. To me, that's when the understanding gap comes in, when you no longer care enough about the "latest thing" to be bothered.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Agreed. It's not like not understanding technology is a causal consequence of age. Like you hit 55 and suddenly you don't get it anymore. My dad is a baby boomer and he's always had an interest in and thus was and still is good with computers, both hardware and software. That doesn't go away. He's less adept with smartphones though because he views them through a very utilitarian lense and doesn't really experiment and thus doesn't learn much about them. And he's literally never made any social media account because he doesn't give a fuck.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Oh absolutely, and this is why I make an effort not to get frustrated when her experiments lead to unpredictable results. Like when she forgot her email password and by the time she gave up and called me had accidentally opened three or four new accounts.

[–] PiousAgnostic 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I've always been pretty curious about what technology will just baffle me, and at what age that tech wall will him me. I'm middle aged and tech is still easy for me. But I know that day will come.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I think it will have to be a completely different paradigm.

The boomers for instance were all into machines... like cars and engines. They services their own car... knew how to tune a timing belt etc. I still see old timers restoring and tinkering with cars or bikes etc.

I'm middle aged too and I think computers and software will always be intuitive. It's our "car engines".

The things which we'll struggle with won't be computer based because we "get" that already. It'll have to be something out of left field for me I think.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Honestly I print like that too, but to be fair I've only printed things out like 5 times from back in primary school