Left in isolation in a large remote property. Poor Doris, who has been left in isolation, finds it difficult to submit the readings from the three electricity meters she has. Doris used to run holiday lets. Doris still has three electricity meters. Presumably because she lives in a massive remote property all by herself.
Perhaps Doris should move.
So the example is a woman. Interesting. My grandparents are both 83, my granddad has made an effort to learn to use computers and ipads and things over the last 10-15 years. My gran’s annoyed this has effectively given him control of their finances (she used to when it was a matter of phoning/physically going to the bank) but isn’t interested in learning how to use digital devices herself.
And reading the article, the old lady’s dead husband must’ve been computing too if he set up a broadband package. I wonder if this reflects a wider trend of older men learning to use digital technology and older women choosing not to? If so, I wonder what the difference is.
If you read it, she doesnt bother to even manage her own bills, she just lets everything auto renew at higher prices.
She’s that minted she doesn’t care.
However she’s too minted she doesnt need a mobile phone, with facebook, which she can learn to use with someone helping.
Just nonsense “news” about someones 50 year old phone number being changed, you still have a logbook of names and numbers, you can still use them ffs.
My nan kept a diary of all her mates, their addresses and numbers, and she passed away 18 years ago. Are you telling me DORIS doesn’t have a diary of such things? or is that considered to poor for someone like doris?
My grandad did just fine and he’s pretty much the most unsophisticated, daft old duffer you’ll ever meet.
Thing is, he recognized that the world changes and made an effort- a small one- to get with it. He isn’t posting tiktoks or anything, but he knows how to manage stuff from his desktop computer.
Presumably the rise of the car was tough on those who refused to drive, or electricity was a tricky one for anyone who insisted on gas lighting.
Ultimately the internet has been widely available for what, 25 years now? If you’re going to refuse to do anything different in two and a half decades you can hardly be surprised when you start being left behind.
It’s drivel like this which had the NHS still relying on phone calls and letters to arrange appointments for much of the last decade.
I’m sorry, but I’ve worked with hundreds of older people over the internet. Some are 80+ and are immediately able to pick up everything I’m saying, and have all their tech sorted. Others are only just over 50 and are technologically illiterate. None of these people are stupid, just stubborn.
The only person that’s made them fall behind in society is themselves. I struggle to feel any empathy for modern day illiterates.
I would be more sympathetic if this was 2000 instead 2022. In HS, I helped in tech workshops at my local library getting older folks signed for Yahoo accounts, how to get on GeoCitites and Yahoo Groups for their hobbies and interests. It’s been 20+ yrs of the net being a niche thing that you could live without to being an important utility.
“Why do they have to make everything so complicated when all I want to do is speak to a person?”
She wants someone on minimum wage to listen to her ramble on the phone before typing in some meter readings for her instead of just doing the two second job herself. Just seems lazy to me.
Some of them don’t help themselves. My nan for example is 86 has never had any desire to learn anything digital, lives in an isolated village, won’t sell her house and move to a town, won’t downsize, doesn’t drive. My grandad handled everything digital before he died. Yet she relentlessly complains she leads an isolated life because she doesn’t see many people. Like all her family who don’t live down the road are expected to drive 2 hours plus to listen to her negativity for a few hours, then drive back again. Wasting money in a cost of living crisis.
I worked in libraries for 8 years, we offered free computer classes to over 60’s. At the end of the day they have to be willing to learn.
This is not just elderly, it is also younger people who can only manage to use minimal options their phone offers.
My own family do well, and have a lot of younger family members on call for help, to set up things, to get advice on some deals, but I am involved with families who are IT illiterate and need for example explanation that smart meter doesn’t save energy on it’s own, or calculate their own income while applying for benefits. Before that I didn’t have idea how many people do struggle with something which seems very basic for me, while I was aware they do exists (my own parents had been helping filling paper forms or making an inquire phone calls on behalf for those in need when I was a child- so I know it is not a new thing).
Only because you do not realise some things do not exist doesn’t matter those things do not exist.
Edit: It doesn’t help that we do have still illiterate people, not just IT illiterate, BTW.
11 comments
Left in isolation in a large remote property. Poor Doris, who has been left in isolation, finds it difficult to submit the readings from the three electricity meters she has. Doris used to run holiday lets. Doris still has three electricity meters. Presumably because she lives in a massive remote property all by herself.
Perhaps Doris should move.
So the example is a woman. Interesting. My grandparents are both 83, my granddad has made an effort to learn to use computers and ipads and things over the last 10-15 years. My gran’s annoyed this has effectively given him control of their finances (she used to when it was a matter of phoning/physically going to the bank) but isn’t interested in learning how to use digital devices herself.
And reading the article, the old lady’s dead husband must’ve been computing too if he set up a broadband package. I wonder if this reflects a wider trend of older men learning to use digital technology and older women choosing not to? If so, I wonder what the difference is.
If you read it, she doesnt bother to even manage her own bills, she just lets everything auto renew at higher prices.
She’s that minted she doesn’t care.
However she’s too minted she doesnt need a mobile phone, with facebook, which she can learn to use with someone helping.
Just nonsense “news” about someones 50 year old phone number being changed, you still have a logbook of names and numbers, you can still use them ffs.
My nan kept a diary of all her mates, their addresses and numbers, and she passed away 18 years ago. Are you telling me DORIS doesn’t have a diary of such things? or is that considered to poor for someone like doris?
My grandad did just fine and he’s pretty much the most unsophisticated, daft old duffer you’ll ever meet.
Thing is, he recognized that the world changes and made an effort- a small one- to get with it. He isn’t posting tiktoks or anything, but he knows how to manage stuff from his desktop computer.
Presumably the rise of the car was tough on those who refused to drive, or electricity was a tricky one for anyone who insisted on gas lighting.
Ultimately the internet has been widely available for what, 25 years now? If you’re going to refuse to do anything different in two and a half decades you can hardly be surprised when you start being left behind.
It’s drivel like this which had the NHS still relying on phone calls and letters to arrange appointments for much of the last decade.
I’m sorry, but I’ve worked with hundreds of older people over the internet. Some are 80+ and are immediately able to pick up everything I’m saying, and have all their tech sorted. Others are only just over 50 and are technologically illiterate. None of these people are stupid, just stubborn.
The only person that’s made them fall behind in society is themselves. I struggle to feel any empathy for modern day illiterates.
I would be more sympathetic if this was 2000 instead 2022. In HS, I helped in tech workshops at my local library getting older folks signed for Yahoo accounts, how to get on GeoCitites and Yahoo Groups for their hobbies and interests. It’s been 20+ yrs of the net being a niche thing that you could live without to being an important utility.
“Why do they have to make everything so complicated when all I want to do is speak to a person?”
She wants someone on minimum wage to listen to her ramble on the phone before typing in some meter readings for her instead of just doing the two second job herself. Just seems lazy to me.
Some of them don’t help themselves. My nan for example is 86 has never had any desire to learn anything digital, lives in an isolated village, won’t sell her house and move to a town, won’t downsize, doesn’t drive. My grandad handled everything digital before he died. Yet she relentlessly complains she leads an isolated life because she doesn’t see many people. Like all her family who don’t live down the road are expected to drive 2 hours plus to listen to her negativity for a few hours, then drive back again. Wasting money in a cost of living crisis.
I worked in libraries for 8 years, we offered free computer classes to over 60’s. At the end of the day they have to be willing to learn.
This is not just elderly, it is also younger people who can only manage to use minimal options their phone offers.
My own family do well, and have a lot of younger family members on call for help, to set up things, to get advice on some deals, but I am involved with families who are IT illiterate and need for example explanation that smart meter doesn’t save energy on it’s own, or calculate their own income while applying for benefits. Before that I didn’t have idea how many people do struggle with something which seems very basic for me, while I was aware they do exists (my own parents had been helping filling paper forms or making an inquire phone calls on behalf for those in need when I was a child- so I know it is not a new thing).
Only because you do not realise some things do not exist doesn’t matter those things do not exist.
Edit: It doesn’t help that we do have still illiterate people, not just IT illiterate, BTW.