Age and Technology

During our discussion yesterday, we brought up the whole age barrier concept and technology. Technology does serve as a way of communication but it can also become a barrier or a source of conflict.

Not too long ago, I showed my parents how to make their first text. Ever since then, I get texts from my parents using abbreviations like "ily" or "sup". I find it humorous and I sometimes make fun of them for it. I think my parents' age is what really gets me. Why are my 50-year-old parents texting me abbreviations when they didn't even have cell phones when they were my age? Are they trying to relate to me? Someone brought up that her parents texted and facebook messaged her on her birthday instead of getting a phone call and how this upset her. Sometimes when I look down at my phone and see that my dad has sent me an "I'm thinking of you" text, I get upset myself. If he had time to text me, why didn't he have time to call me? I text my friends, but it's different when my father or even my mother does it. Maybe I'm just being age-ist, yet it seems a bit odd to receive a text from a person more than twice my age.

Technology, as I said before, can also become a barrier due to age. Take my grandmother for instance. She is even older than my parents, yet we bought her a cell phone not too long ago. She can't even understand how to use the computer, how could she possibly work a cell phone? She never even picks up because she can't understand where her ringtone is coming from when we call her. Whenever she calls, I look at my caller ID and answer "Hey grandma!". She seems surprised every time, "How did you know it was me?" she asks. I laugh, but it just proves that sometimes age can really affect communication. The only way I can get a hold of my grandmother is by her house phone or if she comes over unexpectedly.

In my generation, technology is a vital source of communication. I would love too see what would happen if all of a sudden, everyone's ipod, cell phone, computer, etc. just turned off and stopped working for a day. What would happen? I honestly don't know if people know how to function without technology anymore, myself included.

Before I end this post, the discussion made me think of a commercial that I think everyone has seen. It relates to this whole age barrier and technology idea and made me laugh. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nIUcRJX9-o