Older generations are still struggling to connect to new technologies.
Welcome back, Bobcats!
For my winter break, I had very few plans besides spending time with family, working and relaxing. But something else made it into the mix this year: teaching my grandpa how to use his new iPhone, or as he called it, his new “toy.”
My grandpa, known as “Pap” in my family, has had a cell phone for years, but it has always been a standard flip phone we’d given him to make sure we’d always be able to get ahold of him. He was able to do the basic things — make phone calls, send text messages, etc. — and that was all he really wanted.
But he needed an upgrade, and my family all agreed he’d be able to use a few more functions, so we sprung to get him the iPhone 5C for Christmas. There was a bit of panic in his eyes when he opened the package, but we all assured him we (meaning: I) would help him learn how to use the device.
I have to admit, I was surprised with how quickly he figured it out. After a few instructions, he could make a phone call or access his text messages. He even learned how to FaceTime and use the camera after a little practice.
Sometimes I forget I’m from the generation that grew up with computers and modern tech. Ever since grade school, we learned to use computers and practice typing, but many of those in the class were already practicing on the family desktop. I received my first cell phone in middle school and quickly learned to use every function on the device.
Now, you can look at students moving into dorms with more gaming consoles and gadgets than you could imagine. Even some cars are becoming so futuristic they can park themselves.
For us in the tech generation, few things strike more fear in our hearts than forgetting your phone at home or realizing you don’t have a charger when the battery life is draining from the device. Personally, I don’t even like moving around my house without having my phone in close proximity. We always have to be connected. We rely on the devices more than we realize.
Back to Pap. Maybe there’s more grandparents out there with smartphones that I just don’t know about, but I’m pretty darn proud my 81 year-old grandpa caught on so quickly. He didn’t grow up with any of the gadgets we’re using now. While I’ve become jaded with my phone’s abilities, he’s amazed at the power of the tiny device.
Maybe there is still hope out there for the mother who can’t log on to a computer or the father who refuses to have a cell phone. Maybe we just have to help out the Paps of the world to get there.
Sophie Kruse is a junior studying journalism. Tweet her @kruseco or email her at sk139011@ohio.edu.
