How old are you/technologically savvy?

[taurusowner]

I'm just curious about how old some APS members are, and how capable they think they are dealing with modern technology/electronics.  I have read some posts here and elsewhere concerning some people, usually middle-aged or older, who don't understand things like Facebook or texting.  It got me thinking about how most middle-aged or older people I know don't really know how to use cellphones, the internet, DVRs, etc.  It just seems that there is some point in an adults life where they just stop learning or caring about new advancements.  Using a landline phone, or an old CRT TV is just fine, but things beyond that really seem to confuse or even anger a lot of older types.  I know that doesn't apply to everyone, but it seems to be a pretty common thing that the older someone is, the less they seem to be able to figure out or care to try when it comes to tech.  I wonder if that is because the age of super-electronics didn't really exist when the baby-boomers were children.  SO many things we take for granted now, instantaneous global communication, television, computers, etc were all in their relative infancy back in the 50s and 60s.  I wonder if this trend will continue with the current generations.  I'm going to be 27 in one month, which is pretty close to middle-adulthood, and yet I still play X-box and PS3.  I still get the newest smartphone, and both know how to and care about upgrading my PC.  And I know I'm not alone in that.  Guys I graduated school with, also approaching their 30s, also are still gamers, and are not confused by a brand new HD TV or smartphone.  I, and my friends, care just as much about the release of Halo Reach or the newest Call of Duty as some 14 year old kid.  It just got me wondering if there is going to be some point where new advancement will come out that just totally boggle me and I'll become that old guy who needs a Jitterbug cellphone.  Is that something that happens to every generation, or do you think people my age and younger have grown up around ever-changing technology enough that we can take it in stride?

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

I'm going to be 27 in one month, which is pretty close to middle-adulthood,

[Monkeyleg]

Well, us old geezers learned how to use the return key, which apparently has fallen out of vogue.

There are some people in my age group (60 +/- a few years) who need to stay current with technology. My job requires it.

Gaming is something I did in the 1980's, but it grew old. The games that are out now are amazing, but I have more important things to do.

I guess it boils down to whether or not the person wants or needs to know something new. There's only so much free space in the hard drives in our heads. I think a few terabytes.

As for middle adulthood, you ain't seen nothing yet.

[taurusowner]

Gaming is something I did in the 1980's, but it grew old. The games that are out now are amazing, but I have more important things to do.

That's part of what I'm talking about.  I don't really know anyone my age for whom gaming has grown old.  I knew it happened to guys who played Galaga and all that back in the 80s.  But it doesn't seem to be happening now.  You wouldn't believe how many guys in their 30's or close to it were waiting in line for the midnight Halo Reach launch.  Somehow I doubt that was the norm 20 years ago, but it seems to be the norm now.  It took about a year for both my mom and my dad to learn just how to make phone calls on a simple cell phone.  And yet I, and other guys my age in my MP unit, are getting the newest Droid or iPhone.  I am wondering at what point in the average baby-boomers life did they just stop learning to caring to learn about new stuff.  Like I said in my first post, landline phones and simple TVs seem to be the apex.  Does that happen with every generation?  And why does it not seem to be happening so far with mine?

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

As for middle adulthood, you ain't seen nothing yet. Wink

too true!  when i was that age i was the old man on the mountain  now i think of it as post pubescent.

[Perd Hapley]

Isn't there a difference between being tech savvy, and feeling the need to upgrade equipment just because it is older or less capable than newer stuff? I wonder if we are not confusing two issues here. (Or maybe it's just me.)

Or maybe older folks would rather spend money on the grandkids, than on new stuff?  Maybe that's why the grandkids have all the new stuff?  Or perhaps they spend it on cars, or laminate flooring, or other things? 

[sanglant]

31 going on 131, i can work(build if i want to bad enough.) anything with resistors. 

[Racehorse]

That's part of what I'm talking about.  I don't really know anyone my age for whom gaming has grown old.  I knew it happened to guys who played Galaga and all that back in the 80s.  But it doesn't seem to be happening now.  You wouldn't believe how many guys in their 30's or close to it were waiting in line for the midnight Halo Reach launch.  Somehow I doubt that was the norm 20 years ago, but it seems to be the norm now.

I'm 33, and gaming is starting to grow old for me. It's not so much that I've lost interest in the games. It's that with a wife and a child now, I can't spend hours and hours mastering a video game. Most of the newer games aren't really fun to sit down and play for 10 or 15 minutes, not to mention how badly I get pwned if I venture to play online. I'd much rather keep my wife happy with me and finish projects around the house than put in the time necessary to actually enjoy gaming again. Hard-core gaming was fun, but is no longer an option. Casual gaming, I'm finding, just really isn't very fun.

As for the larger technology question, some of it may be age related, but I think it depends more on the person. My 71 year old dad has a faster computer than I do, has a newer, nicer TV and uses an xbox 360 to stream media from his computer. Admittedly, he got the idea from his sons, but he's embraced the new technology. That may have something to do with him having been an Electrical Engineer, but I think personality and enjoying all things geek is the main driver.

[Monkeyleg]

Somehow I doubt that was the norm 20 years ago, but it seems to be the norm now.

And I was playing those video games in the 1980's when I was in my mid-thirties. After awhile I realized that I was spending a lot of time on something that wouldn't make more money for me or make me a better shot or a better husband or some other worthy goal.

In my first reply I was talking about keeping up with changes in internet technologies, software, search engines, and other such things.

[Jim147]

I'm 29. Midlife. I was 29 last year and I'll be 29 next year.

I'll give you two examples. My dad and a good friend of mine both did radar and computers in the Air force in the '50's and 60's.

My dad stayed in avionics for years and then went to work for .gov on main frames and then PC's. He can still build a computer and stays up on stuff better than I do.

My friend went into refrigeration after the service. He doesn't even like email. Much less thinking about using a modern computer to it's fullest potential.

Back in the start of the video game rage, I found out quickly that I would rather work on an engine or go hunting then spend all day playing a game. But every once in a while I would spend all day writing a program.

jim

[AZRedhawk44]

I'm 32, and I'm getting driven absolute ape-feces by some of the 50-something ladybirds at my SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY that don't know how to take proper care of a Windows workstation.

They aren't receptionists.

One is a QA technician ( ) and the other is our technical writer.

Both of 'em together are a guaranteed recipe for a broken computer inside of an hour.

[Perd Hapley]

Some years ago, I tried to explain to my mother why editing a document with a word processing program was easier than with a typewriter. Still haven't quite gotten over that one.

[BridgeRunner]

31, almost as savvy as I care to be, which isn't very.  

I would like to have more skills than I have.  MacBook/iPhone is, for me, a good compromise that allows me to do what I need/want to do most of the time without getting terribly bogged down in trying to figure out everything with no foundation. 

My lifestyle is very tied to the computer/iphone/xbox (just for tv, I don't game), but for more complicated stuff, I just don't have a strong base of knowledge or skill. 

I had one semester of computer classes, in ninth grade, and nothing since.  I haven't needed it badly enough to go out and find a way to take a class, and in undergrad scheduling precluded it. 

[gunsmith]

well, shucks I never like video games in the 80's ... it seemed like a complete waste of time.
I did learn how to play really old folk songs on an acoustic guitar though, I seem to recollect being more interested in women/wine ( well, bear) and song.
I have some problems with newer technology but usually can sort it out ( not always )

I hope to get a droid next year. I think some of my contemporaries are to self conscious to ask for help

ETA
ur, um, beer....shoot

[Ben]

I'm 32, and I'm getting driven absolute ape-feces by some of the 50-something ladybirds at my SOFTWARE

I'm 50 and am driven crazy by all the thirty somethings in my office who bother me 50 times a day to fix their wifis and 3Gs and interwebs. I don't have any use for Facebook. Doesn't mean I don't know how to use it (apologies to Matthew Quigley).

"Have you tried turning it off and back on again...?"

[taurusowner]

Some years ago, I tried to explain to my mother why editing a document with a word processing program was easier than with a typewriter. Still haven't quite gotten over that one.

That's what I mean.  Not being snarky at all, but I assume your mother is an otherwise intelligent person.  Is there something that happens to the human mind around a certain age where taking in new knowledge or learning new processes is just not really possible anymore?  Adult who are not mentally challenged at all, who are just normal in every way, seem to be totally incapable in many instances of learning how to operate something that is relatively simple.  Your mom did at one point learn how to use a typewriter, and a wide variety of other technology that was the norm when she was younger.  So what happened? 

[Monkeyleg]

I don't have any use for Facebook.

My obnoxious SIL hangs out on Facebook just about every waking minute of her life. I don't see the usefulness of it.

In the last nine years I've learned what I've needed to know about html, asp, sql, Flash, javascript (some), and other coding languages. I started doing Photoshop professionally 15 years ago. I have a Blackberry, and can actually use more the just the cell phone function (can't see the keys, though). I've taken apart computers and replaced all sorts of parts, from hard drives (before they just snapped into place) to processors.

IOW, not all of us old codgers are walking around with slide rules, pencils and spiral notebooks.

That's what I mean.  Not being snarky at all, but I assume your mother is an otherwise intelligent person.  Is there something that happens to the human mind around a certain age where taking in new knowledge or learning new processes is just not really possible anymore?  Adult who are not mentally challenged at all, who are just normal in every way, seem to be totally incapable in many instances of learning how to operate something that is relatively simple.  Your mom did at one point learn how to use a typewriter, and a wide variety of other technology that was the norm when she was younger.  So what happened?

You prioritize, especially as you get older and the time left is more finite. For her it probably wasn't high on the list of priorities.

[Jocassee]

23 here, IT professional, I use my ancient home PC for e-mail and browsing. Don't like smartphones/droids/iPhones. Silly people, phones are for phone calls.

[230RN]

71

MTWO. 

Manual Typewriter, White-Out.

Not really, but as I tell my sons, the older you get, the more practical you get.  However, I did learn to type 40-ish WPM on a manual.

Solving machine and software problems used to be a lot of fun, and given an older machine, I could still do it.  When I started at where I work I was pretty much at the forefront of computer technology and even a few years later I was teaching folks at work how to use Windows 95.

But as technology has progressed more and more rapidly, I found that more and more time had to be devoted to learning and mastering it. 

Not that that would be a "waste" of time, but it's a "using up" of time that I simply don't want to invest any more.

Gaming?  Eh.  Every once in a while I play solitaire.exe, but basically, my mother used to say you could give me a clothespin and I could play with it for hours.  Didn't need much outside stuff for me to entertain myself.  (BBTV --Born Before TV.)

And the usefulness of a lot of the newer stuff is limited to me.  Facebook?  Meh.  I guess I'd like to maybe meet some of my old buds and gals through Facebook, but most of them have passed on, I'm sure. And I'd rather not know about them going.

Downloading most of the apps on my cell phone?  Meh.  I really don't need that much entertainment --see clothespin remarks above --and I'm not even motivated to get a new ring tone.  All I'm really interested in is how to dial a number, how to find one I don't remnember in its address book, how to pick up messages, and how to find out how much I owe the provider.  Oh, and answer it.

Occasionally, I find a new kink in text processors that I like, but really all I want to do is type out my thoughts, occasionally insert pictures, make automatic corrections, and type out envelopes.  Occasionally labels.

Blogging?  I have no pretensions toward achieving immortality through any brilliant blogs.  I have enough fun boring you guys here and on THR.US.

Those are the only two "bulletin boards" I'm on and I "use up" (not "waste") enough time on these two.  Frankly, I'm a little embarassed about my post count over on THR.US.

So?  I agree with the OP that perhaps we older folks are not quite as "into" a lot of modern computer technology.

But is it a function of age?  Incapacity? Or is it a consciousness that a lot of things that "can" be done the "new way" could also be done the "old way."

Or maybe it's a function of an over-the-years constant reinforcement of the idea that so much of this stuff is a result of mere merchandising and planned obsolescence?

Some of us phartniks can get a chuckle out of news reports of the lines waiting for stores to open just to get the latest and greatest gewgaw.

Not knocking it, just observing how merchandising hype can affect folks.

And if you lived off the grid, by choice or necessity, no electricity, no net connection, could you still write that great American novel you've been planning?

I could.

Manual Typewriter, White-Out.

MTWO.

71.

Terry, 230RN

[Hawkmoon]

I'm a "senior citizen." I can manage a digital camera, handle most of my own computer and home network issues, and I consider myself generally "competent." Not expert, just competent.

I do not do texting, and I do not do Facebook. My cell phone is for urgent telephone calls ... only. I have no desire to be "connected" 24/7/365 and to be honest I find your assumption that my desire for a modicum of privacy makes me stupid to be more than a little insulting.

Ditto Facebook. I don't want the entire world, or even a significant subsection thereof, to know everything about me. That doesn't mean I am incapable of mastering facebook. It means I have never even looked at Facebook and have no interest in doing so.

I also don't do IM, and when my sister sends me links to her photo albums that require me to register on Kodak's photo site ... I politely decline.

[RoadKingLarry]

I'm 48. Been working on electronics and computers for about 30 years now, everytihg from vac tubes to fiber optics. It is a living and pays the bills but it isn't something I'm passionate about.
I can generally do what I need to do on a PC and if I can't I can research it and figure it out.
Done the game thing decades ago, I'd rather go fire up my forge and burn some coal and turn some scrap metal into something else. Or, go fishing, hunting, work on my antique tractors, load ammo, go to the range or any number of other real activities than sit down infront of a screan and play a game for hours on end.
As for facebook? A pox on the house of the man who created it.

[seeker_two]

I think of it as becoming wise enough to discern between "new & shiny" and "reliable and useful".  Probably why I've stayed with Windows XP and Samsung Rugby instead of going to Win7 and iPhone (though I'm looking hard at the Droids...)

Those of us who've reached the beginning of wisdom...which starts at 38, BTW.....just have it figured out better than you young'uns..... 

[mtnbkr]

I'm 32, and I'm getting driven absolute ape-feces by some of the 50-something ladybirds at my SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY that don't know how to take proper care of a Windows workstation.

They aren't receptionists.

One is a QA technician ( ) and the other is our technical writer.

Both of 'em together are a guaranteed recipe for a broken computer inside of an hour.

That's more common than you realize and one of the reasons I got as far away as possible from anything resembling desktop support.

Chris

[BMacklem]

38 is the beginning of wisdom?
Damn I have to wait another whole year now to get smarts.
I have followed computers and the hardware aspect of them since the days of the 286, built my first computer which was a 486, and been building all my own personal computers since then.

I stay relatively current on all the new PC technology out there, as I used to work at the largest manufacturer of PCs in the midwest.
I am also an avid gamer, although I am more inclined to play single player type games, as those multi-player MMOs aren't my cup of tea, I find most of the children on there to be tiresome. I do still play Neverwinter Nights though, which is mainly a multi-player game, as there are some really good servers out there for some really good role-playing.

I do also enjoy the occasional flight sim, and good strategy type game. (Galactic civilizations II, Civilization series, Mech Commander series, Mechwarrior series, Supreme Commander, ) some first person shooters, and a lot of the Star Trek games.

So yeah I'm still a gamer.

Although I certainly do enjoy my camping trips...hunting, hiking, shooting in general.
Lately I've been getting far more into politics than I ever have before in my life. (Even went and voted in my first primary ever...GO SCOTT WALKER!!)

So I like to think of myself as a well rounded individual.

Oh yeah...I'm on Facebook too.

[lee n. field]

I'm just curious about how old some APS members are, and how capable they think they are dealing with modern technology/electronics.

I'm 55.  I have fixed PeeCees for the last 20 years.  A lot of bench tech type work.  I'm not afraid of technology, and I'm not afraid of technology that changes.

I personally see no need to text.  Or use twitter.  I'm not on facebook.

Using a landline phone, or an old CRT TV is just fine, but things beyond that really seem to confuse or even anger a lot of older types.

Did I mention that I watch no TeeVee at all?  Haven't for years.  

Guys I graduated school with, also approaching their 30s, also are still gamers, and are not confused by a brand new HD TV or smartphone.  I, and my friends, care just as much about the release of Halo Reach or the newest Call of Duty as some 14 year old kid.

Extended adolescence.

Gamers are my least favorite sort of people to fix computers for.  

It just got me wondering if there is going to be some point where new advancement will come out that just totally boggle me and I'll become that old guy who needs a Jitterbug cellphone.

You I think may misunderstand.  It's not that I couldn't master these things.  I just don't see a need to.

The games that are out now are amazing, but I have more important things to do.

That right there.  More important things to do, and less time.  We do not have the life of the Eldar.

As for middle adulthood, you ain't seen nothing yet. Wink

The change in perspective is interesting.

BTW, everyone who survives grows old.  Not everyone grows wise.