Digital Immigrants In The Digital Age
When I look at my father, I think of the 1920’s. I like to think he was born with the dinosaurs. Now he is thrown in with the millennial generation, and of course wants to fit in.
My dad is always obsessed with the latest trends in technology, but doesn’t know how to use any of it, so he relies on me. As soon as he found out he could sell cars on Craigslist, I had to try to teach him how to use it. After days and days of bickering because he didn’t understand, I was left to do it for him.
I enjoy messing with technology, so don’t get me wrong, but enough is enough. My dad decided he wanted to start selling old antique cars on Ebay. Guess who gets to do that for him? Yeah. Me.
Unfortunately, my dad is the father that literally googles “Google” to get to Google. I thought I would make things easier by setting google as his home screen, yet he still has the audacity to type “google” in the search bar.
The funny thing is, once he gets to Google, he doesn’t even know that he is actually on Google. Then he gets all confused.
This entire technology thing goes way farther than just the computer. The other day, my father bought a smartphone. I felt like I just got a new phone all over again. His famous words “Megan, just show me how to call someone and I will figure the rest out” ran threw my head, but of course I had to teach him everything.
Now my father is getting a little more advanced, and instead of just calling someone he wants to text them. When you’re old and you’re fingers are too big for your screen, texting should not be important. While sitting on the couch, dad gets mad because he can’t hit all the buttons, so he tells me to text for him, because I do it faster.
My father also thinks he can make up his own texting language; he shortens every single word and makes himself look like he’s six. No wonder he googles “Google”.
Helping my father wouldn’t be a problem but he doesn’t remember anything. After showing him one thing, I have to show him ten more times.
Some of his actions make me laugh, but I know I still have to be respectful. The questions he asks me are things I would think a five-year-old would know. He was sitting at the computer sending an email and he seriously asked me where the space bar was. Then again a five-year-old grew up with a laptop and tablet, so maybe that’s an unfair comparison.
After my father realized he could take pictures with a camera, he went and bought one. The camera is so nifty, it actually has a power button that says, “on” and “off”. My dad can never find that button.
I really think there should be an age limit on technology. If a child has to teach his or her parent how to look up a phone number on the internet, they should not be allowed to own a laptop.
