Senior Tech Tip - Όχι, δεν είσαι ηλίθιος!

by Russ Alman, Director of Communications and Development

​No, I can’t read the title of this month’s tech tip either. Despite what some people around the senior center think, I do not speak Greek (though I do speak Geek!). But the title translates into English as “No, you are not stupid.”
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The point of the title is the old adage, “It’s Greek to me.” As someone who does not speak Greek, that title is totally unrecognizable. I don’t know the Greek alphabet and have no idea how to pronounce it without the help of Google Translate.

​Also, I know almost nothing about Greek culture or customs. If you took me to Greece and dropped me off in downtown Athens to fend for myself, I would have no idea how to read the street signs, ask for directions, order food or find a bathroom. I would be very intimidated and exasperated.

I am not stupid. I have a master’s degree and a strong English vocabulary. I am perfectly capable and willing to learn about different cultures and the basics I need to communicate. Though I don’t plan on becoming fluent in Greek, I’m sure if I learned a few phrases and better understood their customs, I’d feel more at ease if I visited there.

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Russ Alman
Director of Communications

(I do love Mediterranean food and if you haven’t tried ouzo, you are missing out!)

The point of this allegory is this: One of the most frequent things I hear from seniors is that they are intimidated by technology. Many are self-deprecating about it and literally say to me, “I am stupid when it comes to computers.”

Frankly, it makes me feel sad when I hear these comments because I know it’s not true. Most seniors are perfectly capable of learning how to use technology. I know seniors in their 80s and 90s that are tech literate and have integrated it into their lives. It probably did not come naturally to them, but they realized it would help them function better in work or retirement and made the effort to learn.

Learning about technology may be easier for some than others, but learning the basics is doable for almost everyone with some patience and effort, just like learning Greek language and culture.

When it comes down to it, technology is both a language and a culture. Just like people are most comfortable speaking their native language and living in the culture in which they were raised, young people who have grown up as “digital natives” generally find technology easier to understand.
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The other factor in language learning is our physiology. Our brains are wired to learn languages when we are young. However, once we get to around age 13, our brains lock in our native language and for most people it becomes more difficult to learn new languages. It’s the same reason people who are not native speakers of a language have an accent.

As the world becomes more dependent on technology, it is increasingly important that seniors develop a basic degree of technology literacy. Many services that you need — from shopping to managing medical care to communicating with friends and family — have become dependent on understanding how to use smartphone apps and the internet. While you might miss the “old days” of clipping coupons from the newspaper and talking with your friends face to face, technology can also enhance experiences in ways that were previously impossible.

For example, my daughter and granddaughter may live over 100 miles away and my son lives in South Korea but I can now have a video conversation with any of them by opening Facebook Messenger and pressing one button. Amazing! And even though I live in Wenatchee where shopping options are relatively limited, I can open up the Amazon or Walmart app on my smartphone or tablet and have anything I could possibly imagine delivered to my front door in less than a week.

(Don’t get me started on my Hawaiian shirt collection I’ve purchased entirely from Temu!)

I can even do wellness checks and have prescriptions renewed in minutes with a telehealth appointment and avoid having to spend an entire morning physically going to the doctor’s office.

I know it’s intimidating, but please do not give up on learning about technology. The reason I am offering tech tutoring sessions at the senior center is that I feel passionately that older adults cannot be left behind as more and more services are moved online.

Bob Clarke will be back this spring to offer his iPhone and Android smartphone classes. I am also actively looking for additional options to help more of you with tech support, including topic-based small group troubleshooting sessions and sponsored classes on important topics like internet security, managing passwords and understanding artificial intelligence. I am open to suggestions. Feel free to email me at [email protected] or call me at (509) 433-7824.

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