How patient are you with older computer users?

[Katrina]

Most of you are quite adept at using your computer systems but how patient are you when dealing with older friends, relatives, customers, etc who struggle to find ctrl alt del or struggle with any of the basics?

My dad is getting forgetful and I have to remind myself that it's probably embarrassing for him to have to call me with simple questions. So I act like it's no big deal even if I've told him how to reboot a million times (I exaggerate).

 

[Deleted member 7467]

I'm not. This is why I work with elementary special education students.

 

[Deleted member 49125]

I used to be but since I've gotten older, I'm able to be less frustrated. I can take that step back & remember what it was like when "I" was learning something new. As far as someone forgetting, it can be a pain, but I just focus on the good qualities of that person. I say it in a way where they don't feel stupid.

 

[sprite1950]

My mother wouldn't have had a clue when it came to technology but she was 90 when she died and had dementia.. She couldn't even manage a mobile phone. I don't know what you would consider old but at 70 I probably fall into that category 😀. People think because I can string a sentence together I am capable of more than I actually am and I have been asked to moderate on various forums which I wouldn't want to do.

I can do basic stuff, enough for what I need to do on a day to day basis but it's what I have taught myself as we never had computers when I was young and I didn't even have my first computer until 2006. I think my computer skills are adequate for my age.

 

[Page]

It can be hard with family members, it's not like helping another who isn't family and makes it less frustrated. It's always the case easy and less frustrated to teach none family-related than with family.

My 72-year-old nan is not good at technology, she can't even use the TV and on that note she users a simple mobile phone. And she always says to people, I can't use a computer and then starts this agreement that no one teachers me. Can be very frustrated at times and that's not regarding the teaching part. She does have a chrome book that she used 3 years ago for 10mins and that's it 😛

The frustrating part that she does not seat down longer than 10mins, after 10mins she gets bored and she said that she has work to do and she stops. that's the hard part that she does not seat there more than 5mins to 10mins, said let's do 10mins a day, next day no time and then years later... Ohh back at it for another 10mins.

Same are easy and others are not, but family is family 😛

 

[Gio]

I have to be for work lol. 😛

 

[Thomasss]

I am the only tech-inclined person where I work, so I’m usually out and about helping my residents with their computers and smart phones. I’m pretty patient - especially when you start to understand they really are trying to grasp the idea of whatever you’re teaching them, but it’s a new concept and most are battling some kind of memory or health issue that makes it so much harder.

When COVID turned the world upside down, I had a resident that starting crying because he wasn’t able to see his family for his 99th birthday. We got on Zoom and the family sent over cake and presents and while it wasn’t the best, it was more than he could ever imagine. Sometimes patience can make someone’s whole world.

 

[sprite1950]

I am the only tech-inclined person where I work, so I’m usually out and about helping my residents with their computers and smart phones. I’m pretty patient - especially when you start to understand they really are trying to grasp the idea of whatever you’re teaching them, but it’s a new concept and most are battling some kind of memory or health issue that makes it so much harder.

When COVID turned the world upside down, I had a resident that starting crying because he wasn’t able to see his family for his 99th birthday. We got on Zoom and the family sent over cake and presents and while it wasn’t the best, it was more than he could ever imagine. Sometimes patience can make someone’s whole world.

Aww that really made my heart melt. I hope someone will be that good to me when I reach an age where I can no longer manage tasks that I used to be able to do.

 

[MrDawn]

I'm not. This is why I work with elementary special education students.

Yeah, there's some old guys at work that can barely work a computer. There's been a few that ACTUALLY knew far more than I did on the subject of working them.

 

[HolisticStorm]

I consider myself a pretty patient person. I have become sort of the go-to person at my workplace for technical questions, especially since we have been using technology far more due to the COVID situation. It's important to remember that everyone has different strengths and areas of knowledge; you never know when you might need the knowledge in other areas that the people whom you're helping can offer.

 

[Demon_skeith]

Not very, but had a job of helping them, so I had to learn patience really.

 

[billiard]

I'm close to being an older computer user myself, so that helps put things into perspective.

 

[Deleted member 17779]

I have to be at my work.

I didn't realize how many people don't know how to work a computer or at least do the basics until I started doing my current job.

 

[Setfragil]

Most of you are quite adept at using your computer systems but how patient are you when dealing with older friends, relatives, customers, etc who struggle to find ctrl alt del or struggle with any of the basics?

My dad is getting forgetful and I have to remind myself that it's probably embarrassing for him to have to call me with simple questions. So I act like it's no big deal even if I've told him how to reboot a million times (I exaggerate).

The same thing happens with my dad, he tends to forget things a lot these days which is due to his age. Anytime he ask me to help with his computer, I am always ready to help him out as he had always been helpful for me in the past no matter I need.

 

[Razor1911]

The same thing happens with my dad, he tends to forget things a lot these days which is due to his age. Anytime he ask me to help with his computer, I am always ready to help him out as he had always been helpful for me in the past no matter I need.

We had a vintage computer in our home, that was of my father. I forced him to sell it online, because he was refusing to sell it for a low price.😆

Later I bought my laptop, which is also not behaving as expected.😏

 

[Xyphien]

I'm very patient with them unless they're trying to teach ME how to do something. In AIT in the army we had an instructor teaching us proper cyber security. This guy was well over 60, typed with his 2 index fingers and that's it, and was soooooo slow to do everything. It took him over 10 minutes just to figure out how to pull up power point and start the slide... The guy teaching us, the importance of being secure on a system he could barely manage. The vast majority of the class did not have high patience for this as we were all going in as I.T. Specialists and clearly knew more than the teacher. I ended up helping him out over half the time just to speed up the process because you could get unhonorably discharged if you fell asleep and most of the class was struggling very much to stay awake.

 

[Fait]

I try to be very, because I remember that they’re from a different generation