COMMENTS

15 responses to “Funny and Not So: Seniors and Tech”

1. Senior Planet is choosing to educate and keep seniors viable in today and tomorrow’s world!

   Reply to Cassandra

2. In this day and time, seniors are the most loyal employees that employers can have. A lot of them want to feel needed. Seniors need training just like anyone else. They have a lot of wisdom to give out.

   Reply to Domonica Ivory-Foster

3. It is true. Companies and individuals can make a profit out of making fun of senior citizens when it comes to technology and that makes youngsters see senior citizens as handicapped or obsolete. It is also true, that there are senior citizens acting exactly the same way as the advertisement. However, not ALL senior citizens care what people say and have their own positive ATTITUDE towards life and have learned, with time, to dominate their fears of technology and use it today like anybody else.

   Reply to Cristian

4. These ads have made me more aware of the way in which seniors or viewed. the sad part is that it’s just not true of most seniors.

   Reply to Denise Montgomeruy

5. Yay for technology and seniors! I’m 70 year old the third sibling of four. Since I’ve bee given to opportunity to get involved with Senior Planet I look forward to sharing my experience(s) with my sibling and my 99 year old mother.

   Reply to Deborah Hall-Robinson

6. This has made me more aware of the negative visuals depicting seniors and their relationship to technology.

   Reply to Amy Wilson

7. Love Senior Planet – such an eye-opener to being a valuable asset to seniors in my community- opening doors by learning to use computer technology.

   Reply to Doris Marsh

8. Arlenes” Thank you for your votes of confidence Roberta

   Reply to Roberta

9. These photos are unthoughtful at best, and offensive at worst. Heck, just look at this website, which is built around the tech-savviness of seniors. I started a business (10 years ago!) that was completely dependent on people over 65 being active online. Much has changed in the last 10 years. Those pictures may represent the early 2000s, but today’s 60+ person is tech-savvy, has used tech at least some of their working life in most cases, and is capable/ready to use the “old” and learn the “new”. Had a client ask me last week why I wasn’t doing a screen-share with him to go over a proposal – shame on me for not expecting that!

   Reply to Garrett Ball

   1. Hi Garrett, that was exactly our point. These are among the photographs that are available to advertisers, marketers, editors and other media professionals who want to illustrate materials on seniors and technology. No wonder the stereotypes persist!

      Reply to Barbara, Senior Planet editor

10. I heartedly agree with the above replies. My first reaction at looking at the pix was that they were all posed and shot by someone who has no respect for seniors. The majority of them make the subjects look doddering and demented. Who’s minding the store — 20 year olds?

    Reply to Arlene

11. Really, the only picture that rang true for me was the last one, with all thumbs up. The rest are almost depressing in their ignorance.

    So, I’m checking over my comment and realize this is long enough to merit Curmudgeon status, but if anyone’s interested, here are just a few things this subject brought up for me, a Boomer:

    For one, it’s kind of silly to assume expertise of ‘all’ young people with all things tech, based on the fact and/or assumption that many of them can use devices etc. they pretty much grew up with anyway. Let’s see how some of our younger people (note, I don’t assume all, because they’re individuals too) would do facing a blank gray screen with the little line of white print at the bottom of the screen demanding that you type in. ..something?! vs. pretty picture icons or instant assist via Google. Shall we mock younger people who didn’t grow up on farms etc., if they lack the problem-solving skills once needed to deal with crops or assembly lines or accounting systems back in the days of paper, and no Google etc.?

    Second, older folks who didn’t happen to work in offices when tech was introduced may or may not have an interest in something that has been marginal to their life experiences – and yet somehow so many have gained substantial expertise in what they have had reason to focus upon. My Mom, a truly smart woman, was not especially interested in spending her last year’s learning, setting up and trouble-shooting a laptop or other device because once she had spare time, she preferred to spend it doing something creative, useful, and interesting to her, all while mastering the intricacies of Medicare @@. But she fully understood the capabilities of tech and would ask me to ‘ask Ralph’ (family name for my Samsung tablet) something that required a little research.

    Third, after spending time with a few interns over the years, it was pretty clear that they too, differed as individuals in terms of understanding or using devices. Faced with a work task that involved online research, most came back with the most obvious (and fastest) response – “Here’s the first ten pages of my Google search on the subject you asked about, I typed in (subject)” The intern I still remember? She listened to me talk about what the point of the exercise was, asked good questions, and returned with a detailed outline (will spare you the details) that showed a true capacity to think beyond the obvious, coupled with a real interest in doing so.

    And, sorry, but this Boomer in her last work years, was asked to participate in some pretty interesting projects that involved tech stuff because a fair number of younger staff showed little interest in participating in something new, an area we were still figuring out, something that involved even deciding what questions to ask, where issues of tech were inter-twined with policy etc etc considerations. The door was open to anyone who was interested, too, but as one (younger) colleague said, “I do my Facebook. I don’t have to learn this other stuff.”

    But I didn’t really tune into all this til the day I sat on a plane as we landed, very late, across the aisle from a young woman with a $tate-of-the-art i-phone calling her Grandmother to say she wasn’t sure she’d make her connection. She was upset, so I suggested she just check online – but she didn’t know how. I didn’t either, but after about 3 seconds of thought, it was a Boomer (and I know I’m not the only one! ) standing there as we filed out, typing ‘status, delta #’ into the search box of my tablet for her and about 4 others.

    We’re still all individuals. ..right? And please note, I’m all for younger people, too – and the perspective of anyone who is actively participating in life.

    Reply to Arlene S.

12. Frankly I don’t think any of the photos are funny. Why would we want others to think as we age that we have the propensity to become more stupid and incapable of using electronic devices. Why paint that type of picture of older people.

    Reply to Alexander Chionsini

13. I find none of the above photo shots of seniors (ALMOST ALL IN COUPLES) amusing or funny. I am 82, female, and have
    had my own computer for 11 years, after taking classes. After 80. there are far more single/divorced/widowed females
    around than males. But I’ve never found stereotypes amusing or interesting. RJF NYC

    Reply to Roberta

    1. Roberta, You are my hero (ine)!!!

       And I’m enjoying seeing these other comments. ;’)….. The Other Arlene!

       Reply to Arlene S.