Older Generations and Technology

Older Generations and Technology

by Maddy Garrett

Reporter, Flyer Flash

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As teenagers, most of us cannot even begin to imagine life without our cell phones.

But for other people, who may be a bit older, a sense of being overwhelmed by all the technology that surrounds this day and age becomes fuzzy in their cell-phone screen.

Every day there is always something new. When someone gets caught up, they fall behind with all the new products that come out seemingly every day.

The first iPhone was extremely popular, and now years later, the latest and coolest phone is the Iphone 5.

Our society just keeps expanding and progressing on technology, and it is quite awesome for this younger generation, but for the older generation...not so much.

“I feel like I can’t keep up, or compete with the kids and technology,” explains grandmother Ann Garrett on how she feels about technology. “I’m only cool if I know how to work a smartphone or computer.”

“I hate technology! I can’t keep up with it and I feel so overwhelmed!” shouts school registrar, Mrs. Lewis.

Teenagers and younger children are used to this kind of technology and how fast everything is now because that is how they were brought up. Teenagers can figure out problems and other things better because they are so in touch with it.

“It is so interesting how kids know how to use it,” says Garrett.

It’s true as toddlers can be seen all the time on iPads and other devices and can make them work instantly, and they are able to teach themselves how to use them.

Other individuals may feel overwhelmed with all this fast and easy technology piling up and building on them that they can’t quite figure it out.

“I like having all this technology because the best part is having students to help, especially my Jets (Jetettes) so I can get smarter,” said Mrs. Peterson about her liking technology.

What are the most used things teenagers use on their phones? Probably the most obvious one would be texting, but they like to use all of the other social networks they have access to and taking pictures and using the gaming apps that are popular as well.

For the different generation, there are some similarities.

“I am able to film and take pictures. It’s heaven,” exclaims Peterson.

“I use notes, reminders and calendars to remember things to do, I like using Shazam and Fitness Pal, and I pretty much much use my phone for everything,” tells Garrett.

Sometimes, it is pretty funny to see how slow some people are at working a phone or computer, but teenagers can’t always expect the older generation to be masters of technology like they are today.

Mrs. Peterson is able to use Siri and make calls and receive them, but “The rest is up in the air.”

Mr. Christensen’s parents are others examples of individuals that kind of struggles with technology, 
“My mom calls me every time she has a technology question, which is sometimes daily.”

Children of today have been blessed with all this technology right at their fingertips, but what has been happening in the long-run?

“There is no more face to face communication. It is sad to see people walking right next to each other and not even verbally speaking to one another, but instead texting. They have had some problems with the missionaries that go out into the field and can’t even carry on conversation, or are too nervous to go out and talk to strangers because that is how they have been raised. It’s sad how everyone is losing communication,” said a melancholy Garrett.

This certainly is becoming a problem all over the nation, and as well as the world.

Researchers believe the current generation of teenagers will be very uneducated on living and working and communicating because they can just simply use a phone or computer to do it for us instead of ourselves.

Mrs Peterson cannot imagine life without technology. Her phone is always on her person and has it at all times. “I grew up with a typewriter and shorthand, and i wasn’t very good at it. It sucked.”
Agreeing with this, Ann Garrett says she always has it with her. “I like being able to connect with my family and Grandkids.

Teens love using social networks like Twitter and Instagram, but older people may not have any idea of what those things are.

“Twitter is where people post stuff and other people can post on it. Then you can either bag on it or agree with it,” explains Peterson with her best guess on what Twitter is.

It’s interesting to see the similarities and differences between the younger and older generation. Some people just aren’t equipped with the right skills to understand all the amazing things technology can do for us. But they have lived in a different world before this all happened. Now they can’t believe that they did. The world is ever changing into a lightning-speed society, and hopefully it is for the better.