Why do elderly people struggle to learn how to use computers?

My dad was born during the 50s and is retired now. He has nothing to do and quite intrigued by computer . He now spends most of his time figuring out computer related stuff but he seems to struggle to understand how computer works. And he is learning really slow....He often calls me, even when i am working to ask me questions and at times it can be annoying. Often amateurish questions. He can't tell whether it is his browser that is slowing down or whether the internet is lagging which is affecting his browsing speed, which is really difficult for me to explain the how to spot which is which. His computer is riddled with virus because he tends to install/ update software from dodgy websites and I dont know how to teach him how to spot high risk website to avoid, it takes some cow sense. I am genuinely worried one day he will fall for some nigerian phishing scam.

oh and he couldnt understand why alt - f4 closes down his program when he sets that as a hotkey.

(edited 8 years ago)

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smh

COS DEY IS OLD.

Honestly, it is probably because they are old so they would not be use it it. Takes them longer to learn and stuff like that.

Reply 3

username2088165

Probably because they didn't grow up with them, so using a computer is often hard for them, especially at first :smile:

Reply 4

ForestShadow

Diff generation, diff understandings

BUT WAIT< what if when we grow old all our children and their friends are talking about their latest GX PRO holograph experiences and their latest atmospheric jetpack upgrades ver4? WE WILL BE THE ONES WHO ARE OUT DATED OMMMGGG! :s-smilie:

Spoiler

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 5

User1333171

Revisit this thread in 40 years and see how you're doing with the latest technology then.

Reply 6

Longshot700

Never mock your parents/ grandparents about using computers, they were the ones that were cleaning your ass when you couldn't.

- Some phrase on facebook I saw.

Reply 7

generallee

Original post by HucktheForde

Don't worry, by the time you are in your fifties technology will have advanced so much that your kids will be tearing their hair out at your inability to master it!

Reply 8

Doones

"I've come up with a set of rules that describe our reactions to technologies:
1. Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works.
2. Anything that's invented between when you’re fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it.
3. Anything invented after you're thirty-five is against the natural order of things."

- Douglas Adams

Spoiler

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 9

Joinedup

Spent their youths watching sci fi films where the computers screamed 'does not compute' and exploded whenever something unexpected happened.

now they're understandably worried if it'll break by having two windows open at the same time.

Having said that my dad is much older than yours and he's fine - but he's been using computers of various sorts since the 1970s
OTOH my uncle who's 10 years younger got conned into encrypting his own hard drive by a foreign sounding gentleman who phoned him up and said he 'worked for the helpdesk'

Reply 10

BRING BACK MHOC

I guess it's because they didn't grow up with tech products in the same way that we, and to a lesser extent our parents, did. If you think about it it goes both ways though, a lot of young people would need their parents' and grandparents' help living without computers and the internet.

Reply 11

Doones

Original post by Joinedup

now they're understandably worried if it'll break by having two windows open at the same time.

Reply 12

username984585

I'm 20 and I struggle with technology. :colondollar:

Reply 13

Doones

Oh and being in your 50's or 60's is not elderly...

80+ is elderly.

:shakecane:

Reply 14

kkboyk

Original post by HucktheForde

My dad was born during the 50s and is retired now. He has nothing to do and quite intrigued by computer . He now spends most of his time figuring out computer related stuff but he seems to struggle to understand how computer works. And he is learning really slow....He often call me, even when i am working to ask me questions and at times it can be annoying. Often amateurish questions. He can't tell the whether it is his browser that is slowing down or whether the internet is lagging which is affecting his browsing speed, which is really difficult for me to explain the how to spot which is which. His computer is riddled with virus because he tends to install/ update software from dodgy websites and I dont know how to teach him how to spot high risk website to avoid, it takes some cow sense. I am genuinely worried one day he will fall for some nigerian phishing scam.

oh and he couldnt understand why alt - f4 closes down his program when he sets that as a hotkey.

It becomes more difficult to learn something new as you age, and our generation pretty much grew up being surrounded by vast amount of technology (which we played around with and eventually learnt how most tech devices work)

Some other reasons:

"Learning new things definitely takes more time as you get older," Charness says. "The brain shows moderately steady decline from your late teens onwards, in terms of the flexibility to form new circuitry

Young people seek new skills "because they might become relevant later," Carstensen says, "Whereas when people age and time horizons shrink, they are more interested in what seems to matter now. So they focus more on emotional goals and being with the people that matter most in life."

Reply 15

Serine Soul

Original post by the bear

smh

I'm sure bear, despite being 70, has great expertise with computers :yep:

Reply 16

Doones

Original post by kkboyk

"Young people seek new skills "because they might become relevant later," Carstensen says, "Whereas when people age and time horizons shrink, they are more interested in what seems to matter now. So they focus more on emotional goals and being with the people that matter most in life.""

Doesn't mean oldies can't learn.

Facebook user demographics are aging significantly year by year, with the fastest growth in the 55+ age group.

Reply 17

the bear

Original post by Serine Soul

I'm sure bear, despite being 70, has great expertise with computers :yep:

wanna see my dongle dear ?

:hubba:

Reply 18

Andy98

Original post by jneill

1. Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works.
2. Anything that's invented between when you’re fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it.
3. Anything invented after you're thirty-five is against the natural order of things.

- Douglas Adams

Spoiler

He got it bang on

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