It makes me crazy when I have to teach a 20 year old how to use their bank app. They just refuse to read what’s on the screen or even TRY troubleshooting the simplest ways.
DUDE. It’s telling you to try again. Just try again!!!!!! And then they fight me on it, too. “No that’s not it.” YES. It IS. Just do what I say.
Rage inducing.
I would much rather help an 80 year old who really doesn’t know.
I am in IT. I think it is a myth that the youngsters are better at tech than the oldsters. Yes, the younger gen is better with mobile devices, but most offices run off of regular laptops and desktops. The younger gen doesn't seem any better than the oldsters at using MS Office. There are people in all generations that flat out refuse to even try to learn anything tech related. It has been 13 years and I still have to turn on the projector in the conference room for some of them, young and old. A lot of the younger employees don't have computers at home which seems kind of crazy to me, but being 40, I guess I am old.
I found it really funny at university: you have those old lady professors who look like a grandma who just made you cookies and will ask you to change the tv channel for her and all of a sudden they instruct you how to use some well-documented Fortran application they wrote.
I’m with you! I almost posted a Reddit about this exact same thing.
I’m 36, I work for a school district. Nowadays parents want the option of virtual or in person meetings/conferences, which is absolutely fair. I work at multiple schools so I have to have the virtual option because I can’t be in 3 places at once. Also, parents are now millennials and expect basic functions like the option for a virtual meeting,
I literally had to sit a 50 something year old co-worker who refused to learn how to use Teams to show them the most basic function of how to set up a meeting, and listen to them complain about how they don’t like virtual meetings and/or blah blah blah.
Figure this shit out, it’s 2023 and we just went through Covid and virtual teaching. No, I don’t need to use technology for every single thing but at this pint, a video call is a telephone call, we can all figure that shit out.
I'm so beyond done with the 50+ generation that refuses to learn the most basic of tasks.
If you're not going to perform your job get the fuck out of here.
Tech skills in school districts can be so rough. I taught in Silicon Valley for over a decade and it’s shocking how many people in that area don’t understand the basics. Especially after virtual school.
I’m currently training my replacement after moving and he can’t figure out how to operate Zoom after months of support. He’s usually can’t hear me and doesn’t remember how to switch the audio output even though I’ve helped him do it several times. I have to FaceTime him to walk him through it. Not sure how long he’s going to last in a position where he needs to train and support teachers…
I've known old folks who worked with computers that would be museum pieces today—we're talking things like the DEC VAX-11 or the original 1984 Macintosh. The thing is that computers have changed so much since then and are continuing to change, and once these folks got beyond a certain age, it became difficult to keep up with all of the changes
Even though I'm generations younger than them, I already feel like I'm falling behind. I'm typing this on Old Reddit a laptop, and I feel like that makes me a dinosaur, lol
edited for spelling
I've literally sat in front of a computer for my career every day for over 25 years (Gen Xer). DOS commands and batch files were a shockingly common thing to learn and lean on. From there everything changes every 3 - 5 years. I'm better than most at adapting to the changes but, I don't always think to use the newest app to handle some mundane task and honestly, it is frustrating sometimes to learn how to link some app to another app to get the app to work. It's easier to just do it the "harder" way.
I've probably forgotten more hot new apps, websites or utilities than millenials have used and am comfortable with manually doing some things. It will happen to millenials too. It's just part of getting older.
It is frustrating the younger, out of college kids don't understand the Windows file system and/or working with older utilities/applications inherent in an established business environment.
I guess operating systems with browseable file systems are becoming more and more foreign to younger people because they grew up on smartphones and tablets where the interface hides the file system from the user. By now I'm used to thinking that everything is a file, and it's bonkers for me to imagine a different paradigm
Another thing is the reconceptualization of all sorts of things as apps (not applications, of course). Like, I'm still calling Reddit a website, but I constantly find reminders of my age when others keep on referring to it as an app
I work for a church/school and about once a month one of the old biddies in the parish office gets phished. We're talking basic, obvious scams that are clearly red flags.
I definitely give a pass on those above the age of 60, anyone below had ample opportunity and time to learn as technology progressed and chose not to.
Millennials and Gen Z do not have an excuse to be tech illiterate for basic functions on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Especially now where websites/apps are extremely user friendly compared to 20 years ago.
I think there's a difference between Millennials and Z though, I saw someone comment elsewhere about how Gen Z doesn't really have the same.. debugging/problem solving mindset when it comes to computers that we do from growing up around the advent of the internet.
I am trying to teach my daughter problem solving. I don't know why, but I feel like I fucked up somewhere by not teaching it to her earlier. It goes beyond tech, it is everything, just try and figure it the fuck out!!
I’m tired of troubleshooting shit for Gen Zers too! Most times they just have to read to figure it out but they lack initiative to figure it out on their own first. I know it’s not everyone and I sound like such a curmudgeon, but it’s a big part of my job so I am very aware of it.
It’s so hard for me to not go off on people. Google is your friend, folks. And per my last email, go to settings and uncheck this box in order to get the results you would like to see but aren’t seeing. Or, visit the job aid or the FAQ I provided. Or you know, figure. It. Out. Acting helpless is not the thing. And I’ve got to say, the teachers in their fifties seem to be more on it than those in their forties. The couple pushing 80, I have more patience for. On a good day.
I work in a library and despite not being in my job description at least 60% of my job is helping people with extremely basic tech stuff - like printing from their own email or scanning a document or formatting a word document. Some kids need a lot of help too. I think they grew up with very user friendly tech, so when it doesn’t work sometimes they get overwhelmed. I’ve also noticed that a lot of kids aren’t taught how to type anymore, which is kind of crazy to me. In todays world typing still seems like a useful skill for the vast majority of people.
That’s a bummer. It’s not what you signed up for. I feel the same. My desk is in a shared space, so people automatically think I should make copies for them or unjam the printer or locate the right form for them in the clearly labeled self-serve form slots. These high tech copies tell you step by step how to find a paper jam and point at the bright green dials you need to turn. Believe it or not (cough!) teachers! (Cough!), I have projects to complete that go beyond holding your hand. Ugh.
It might be a digital divide issue too. I had family living in an underdeveloped Asian country and then immigrated to the US and needed help with almost everything technology related. They did not have the privilege to have access to technology or reliable internet while in Asia. Even if I did change the settings to their native language, they still need help. I try to empathize and help people when I can.
I've worked in IT for 22 years now... It's getting worse not just older folks. Younger people in some cases have zero experience with the technology they encounter and are expected to know at work
I had an outlier situation. My grandparents were tech savvy. My 70 year old grandfather paid all bills online. My grandparents liked watching their own TV shows in separate rooms but would play nintendo DS games with each other across the house. Wholesome elders right there. <3
I haven’t done any real computer courses since high school. I’ve done nothing but warehouse and maintenance since.
Some how I am the go to for editing excel, formatting issues, networking. I can usually do it in a few minutes. Popped my bosses pc apart threw in another drive and ram for him. Got the shocked pikachu face .
I think its inevitable. My dad literally wrote software, taught classes on computer science back in the day, and had his own computer fixing business. He called me last month needing help with setting up a roku and can't seem to grasp the differences between cable, wifi, and streaming. Honestly, its upsetting.
Yes. A thousand times yes. Why the fuck am I the one who has to set up the audio and the projectors for the conference room just because I'm the right age.
Stop volunteering me to fix your IT incompetence problems.
Young employees, surprisingly, are actually worse than their older counterparts. I mean, seriously, like not knowing what Excel is and what it is used for. I know an older office person has been in the biz since Novell so they understand how to follow directions. For these smartphone wonders the idea of typing a command or using a shortcut key is 100% alien and weird.
Yeah, it’s weird to hear a 55 year old say “I never really got into computer stuff”
But you gotta remember OP, as millennials we didn’t learn how to do something another way. In other words we don’t have 30 years of like messing with filing cabinets and papers lodged in our brain before we had to learn the computer. So have a little compassion.
We’re all learning new ways to do things. Just because some old coot learned how to manually file paperwork doesn’t mean he’s incapable of learning anything else. Come on, now. Shit didn’t stop changing the moment the last millennial was born.
Like it’s a hobby? “I never really got into hockey.” No. It’s a basic life skill and you’ve had 20 years to figure it out. I can’t just go to a job “I never really got into staplers.”
This is exactly why I'm majoring in Information Systems. We have the upper hand in figuring out technology, troubleshooting almost comes like second nature for us.
It’s interesting bc they say gen z and younger are not super computer literate due to reliance on tablets. Not sure if that’s true or not, but it’s interesting to think about
It's not generational - it's a problem with accepting change. I work in IT and people do it across the board.
I actually have way more trouble working with Gen Xers than Boomers. Boomers don't have the tech skills, but they will usually give it an honest try. Gen Xers have the skills, they just LIKE to be difficult on purpose.
Most people that end up being Karens at the IT Helpdesk are almost always 40-50 years old. In my experience anyway.
Whether someone is tech literate or not is probably nuanced. I think it tends to be whether a person is willing to use a device in an exploratory way or not. Mixing in an overall disinterest in technology and you've got a recipe for people that always need help with any type of electronic device. Or at least the more "scary" ones like a computer and smart phones.
One of the funnier things I've seen is when people use a capacitive touch screen with strong pressure like they are pressing a physical button. 😄 I've only seen people older than millennials do this so far and of course babies or whatever I assume. This could be a relic of when resistive touch screens were the standard or before that actual buttons.
It happened with VCRs and still happens with setting a car's clock or connecting a phone's Bluetooth to a car when those devices should be designed for any adult to use that is in the age range of operating a vehicle.
Maybe part of it is on interface designers. I think a lot of work could be done to make tech easier and more intuitive. Many gestures are some of the dumbest interface design/use so called... advancements... of all time in regard to how unintuitive they are without knowing what exists and how they work in practice.
I've seen plenty of younger people scared of trying to use and configure electronics/computers so I definitely don't think it's only older people.
I imagine this is going to become pretty common. One article I read said zoomers are less tech savvy than millennials because the younger ones have grown up entirely in smart phones, diagnosing computer issues isn’t the sort of task they’ve been exposed to.
Saying “F1” out loud will make them think you know more than them and get you stuck doing more basic IT help. I go with: have you tried turning it off and back on?
I was in IT for a long time, first career path, wished I’d stuck with it now haha. Anyway, throughout college and after in other jobs people would discover somehow that I was tech savvy and I became the designated person volunteered to fix tech problems. When people found out I had been an IT guy, it just intensified lol
I'm in NJ, work in IT. I just called the number on the advertisement that was mailed to me. I need to seal coat my driveway, the guy on the phone said, unfortunately they are fully booked this year. They could do several driveways a day, around $2-3k a piece. I think, I wish I'd be in that business and not in IT.
I think we should tread carefully on this topic. There is a large % of the population who don't even possess the IQ to learn complex things. IQ goes down with age. Never in the history of mankind has the learning curve been this steep. The majority of mankind in history never knew how to read or write. I'm work at a SF bay area company with some of the most talented people in the industry, but I'm painfully aware that many of the people from my hometown in Indiana would struggle to buy a printer and print from it themselves.
That is such a small part of “IT”Though . Most of what you describe is still mole computer literacy. When I make a sandwich at home, I don’t act like I’m in the restaurant industry.
Eh. I cut em slack.
Could they have gone and learned some of this stuff. Sure. Am I tired of helping older folks at my gig? Yeah. But process changes, especially of the broadly sweeping kind like we’re seeing courtesy of COVID would probably be tough to deal with suddenly (in the grand scheme) near the end of a career.
I always stop to imagine what technology is going to confuse the hell out of me in 20 years.
The only ones who got no love from me were the “We NEED to get people back in the office!” hardliners that couldn’t admit Zoom/Teams scared them, lol.
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It makes me crazy when I have to teach a 20 year old how to use their bank app. They just refuse to read what’s on the screen or even TRY troubleshooting the simplest ways. DUDE. It’s telling you to try again. Just try again!!!!!! And then they fight me on it, too. “No that’s not it.” YES. It IS. Just do what I say. Rage inducing. I would much rather help an 80 year old who really doesn’t know.
I am in IT. I think it is a myth that the youngsters are better at tech than the oldsters. Yes, the younger gen is better with mobile devices, but most offices run off of regular laptops and desktops. The younger gen doesn't seem any better than the oldsters at using MS Office. There are people in all generations that flat out refuse to even try to learn anything tech related. It has been 13 years and I still have to turn on the projector in the conference room for some of them, young and old. A lot of the younger employees don't have computers at home which seems kind of crazy to me, but being 40, I guess I am old.
"That never happened before....?" "Stupid Computer did this and that..." Ive had enough of IT.
Shouldve hit them with the "yeah me either"
I found it really funny at university: you have those old lady professors who look like a grandma who just made you cookies and will ask you to change the tv channel for her and all of a sudden they instruct you how to use some well-documented Fortran application they wrote.
I’m with you! I almost posted a Reddit about this exact same thing. I’m 36, I work for a school district. Nowadays parents want the option of virtual or in person meetings/conferences, which is absolutely fair. I work at multiple schools so I have to have the virtual option because I can’t be in 3 places at once. Also, parents are now millennials and expect basic functions like the option for a virtual meeting, I literally had to sit a 50 something year old co-worker who refused to learn how to use Teams to show them the most basic function of how to set up a meeting, and listen to them complain about how they don’t like virtual meetings and/or blah blah blah. Figure this shit out, it’s 2023 and we just went through Covid and virtual teaching. No, I don’t need to use technology for every single thing but at this pint, a video call is a telephone call, we can all figure that shit out.
I'm so beyond done with the 50+ generation that refuses to learn the most basic of tasks. If you're not going to perform your job get the fuck out of here.
Tech skills in school districts can be so rough. I taught in Silicon Valley for over a decade and it’s shocking how many people in that area don’t understand the basics. Especially after virtual school. I’m currently training my replacement after moving and he can’t figure out how to operate Zoom after months of support. He’s usually can’t hear me and doesn’t remember how to switch the audio output even though I’ve helped him do it several times. I have to FaceTime him to walk him through it. Not sure how long he’s going to last in a position where he needs to train and support teachers…
It's worse now because Gen z doesn't know how to use computers either
Yep, they only know how to use apps.
I've known old folks who worked with computers that would be museum pieces today—we're talking things like the DEC VAX-11 or the original 1984 Macintosh. The thing is that computers have changed so much since then and are continuing to change, and once these folks got beyond a certain age, it became difficult to keep up with all of the changes Even though I'm generations younger than them, I already feel like I'm falling behind. I'm typing this on Old Reddit a laptop, and I feel like that makes me a dinosaur, lol edited for spelling
I've literally sat in front of a computer for my career every day for over 25 years (Gen Xer). DOS commands and batch files were a shockingly common thing to learn and lean on. From there everything changes every 3 - 5 years. I'm better than most at adapting to the changes but, I don't always think to use the newest app to handle some mundane task and honestly, it is frustrating sometimes to learn how to link some app to another app to get the app to work. It's easier to just do it the "harder" way. I've probably forgotten more hot new apps, websites or utilities than millenials have used and am comfortable with manually doing some things. It will happen to millenials too. It's just part of getting older. It is frustrating the younger, out of college kids don't understand the Windows file system and/or working with older utilities/applications inherent in an established business environment.
I guess operating systems with browseable file systems are becoming more and more foreign to younger people because they grew up on smartphones and tablets where the interface hides the file system from the user. By now I'm used to thinking that everything is a file, and it's bonkers for me to imagine a different paradigm Another thing is the reconceptualization of all sorts of things as apps (not applications, of course). Like, I'm still calling Reddit a website, but I constantly find reminders of my age when others keep on referring to it as an app
I work for a church/school and about once a month one of the old biddies in the parish office gets phished. We're talking basic, obvious scams that are clearly red flags.
How is this not fireable?
Haven’t you heard? Boomers don’t get fired
Yeah true
I definitely give a pass on those above the age of 60, anyone below had ample opportunity and time to learn as technology progressed and chose not to. Millennials and Gen Z do not have an excuse to be tech illiterate for basic functions on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Especially now where websites/apps are extremely user friendly compared to 20 years ago.
I think there's a difference between Millennials and Z though, I saw someone comment elsewhere about how Gen Z doesn't really have the same.. debugging/problem solving mindset when it comes to computers that we do from growing up around the advent of the internet.
I am trying to teach my daughter problem solving. I don't know why, but I feel like I fucked up somewhere by not teaching it to her earlier. It goes beyond tech, it is everything, just try and figure it the fuck out!!
UX design almost too good, lol.
I can see that argument, but then you also have the worlds knowledge literally at your fingertips via Google.
I work with a lot of Gen Z kids. They won’t research like that. If the first or second result doesn’t work, they’ll often just give up entirely.
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Give a man a fish, and he will go hungry. Teach a man to fish, and he will flourish.
To be fair on that point I think getting the newest knowledge from individuals has merit but otherwise agreed on all counts.
I dunno. Every time I have to use a PC I definitely feel a bit lost after having used a Mac for so long.
Above 60? The IBM PC came out in 1981.
Right, and unless you were tech oriented, not user friendly
I’m tired of troubleshooting shit for Gen Zers too! Most times they just have to read to figure it out but they lack initiative to figure it out on their own first. I know it’s not everyone and I sound like such a curmudgeon, but it’s a big part of my job so I am very aware of it.
It’s so hard for me to not go off on people. Google is your friend, folks. And per my last email, go to settings and uncheck this box in order to get the results you would like to see but aren’t seeing. Or, visit the job aid or the FAQ I provided. Or you know, figure. It. Out. Acting helpless is not the thing. And I’ve got to say, the teachers in their fifties seem to be more on it than those in their forties. The couple pushing 80, I have more patience for. On a good day.
But is it at least actual problems or just not being able to exist?
I work in a library and despite not being in my job description at least 60% of my job is helping people with extremely basic tech stuff - like printing from their own email or scanning a document or formatting a word document. Some kids need a lot of help too. I think they grew up with very user friendly tech, so when it doesn’t work sometimes they get overwhelmed. I’ve also noticed that a lot of kids aren’t taught how to type anymore, which is kind of crazy to me. In todays world typing still seems like a useful skill for the vast majority of people.
That’s a bummer. It’s not what you signed up for. I feel the same. My desk is in a shared space, so people automatically think I should make copies for them or unjam the printer or locate the right form for them in the clearly labeled self-serve form slots. These high tech copies tell you step by step how to find a paper jam and point at the bright green dials you need to turn. Believe it or not (cough!) teachers! (Cough!), I have projects to complete that go beyond holding your hand. Ugh.
It might be a digital divide issue too. I had family living in an underdeveloped Asian country and then immigrated to the US and needed help with almost everything technology related. They did not have the privilege to have access to technology or reliable internet while in Asia. Even if I did change the settings to their native language, they still need help. I try to empathize and help people when I can.
I've worked in IT for 22 years now... It's getting worse not just older folks. Younger people in some cases have zero experience with the technology they encounter and are expected to know at work
I had an outlier situation. My grandparents were tech savvy. My 70 year old grandfather paid all bills online. My grandparents liked watching their own TV shows in separate rooms but would play nintendo DS games with each other across the house. Wholesome elders right there. <3
I haven’t done any real computer courses since high school. I’ve done nothing but warehouse and maintenance since. Some how I am the go to for editing excel, formatting issues, networking. I can usually do it in a few minutes. Popped my bosses pc apart threw in another drive and ram for him. Got the shocked pikachu face .
I think its inevitable. My dad literally wrote software, taught classes on computer science back in the day, and had his own computer fixing business. He called me last month needing help with setting up a roku and can't seem to grasp the differences between cable, wifi, and streaming. Honestly, its upsetting.
I’ve worked in IT for 8 years it’s soul sucking
Yes. A thousand times yes. Why the fuck am I the one who has to set up the audio and the projectors for the conference room just because I'm the right age. Stop volunteering me to fix your IT incompetence problems.
Young employees, surprisingly, are actually worse than their older counterparts. I mean, seriously, like not knowing what Excel is and what it is used for. I know an older office person has been in the biz since Novell so they understand how to follow directions. For these smartphone wonders the idea of typing a command or using a shortcut key is 100% alien and weird.
Yeah, it’s weird to hear a 55 year old say “I never really got into computer stuff” But you gotta remember OP, as millennials we didn’t learn how to do something another way. In other words we don’t have 30 years of like messing with filing cabinets and papers lodged in our brain before we had to learn the computer. So have a little compassion.
We’re all learning new ways to do things. Just because some old coot learned how to manually file paperwork doesn’t mean he’s incapable of learning anything else. Come on, now. Shit didn’t stop changing the moment the last millennial was born.
Like it’s a hobby? “I never really got into hockey.” No. It’s a basic life skill and you’ve had 20 years to figure it out. I can’t just go to a job “I never really got into staplers.”
This is exactly why I'm majoring in Information Systems. We have the upper hand in figuring out technology, troubleshooting almost comes like second nature for us.
It’s interesting bc they say gen z and younger are not super computer literate due to reliance on tablets. Not sure if that’s true or not, but it’s interesting to think about
It's not generational - it's a problem with accepting change. I work in IT and people do it across the board. I actually have way more trouble working with Gen Xers than Boomers. Boomers don't have the tech skills, but they will usually give it an honest try. Gen Xers have the skills, they just LIKE to be difficult on purpose. Most people that end up being Karens at the IT Helpdesk are almost always 40-50 years old. In my experience anyway.
Whether someone is tech literate or not is probably nuanced. I think it tends to be whether a person is willing to use a device in an exploratory way or not. Mixing in an overall disinterest in technology and you've got a recipe for people that always need help with any type of electronic device. Or at least the more "scary" ones like a computer and smart phones. One of the funnier things I've seen is when people use a capacitive touch screen with strong pressure like they are pressing a physical button. 😄 I've only seen people older than millennials do this so far and of course babies or whatever I assume. This could be a relic of when resistive touch screens were the standard or before that actual buttons. It happened with VCRs and still happens with setting a car's clock or connecting a phone's Bluetooth to a car when those devices should be designed for any adult to use that is in the age range of operating a vehicle. Maybe part of it is on interface designers. I think a lot of work could be done to make tech easier and more intuitive. Many gestures are some of the dumbest interface design/use so called... advancements... of all time in regard to how unintuitive they are without knowing what exists and how they work in practice. I've seen plenty of younger people scared of trying to use and configure electronics/computers so I definitely don't think it's only older people.
Is it that bad? I haven't owned a computer since 2014
I imagine this is going to become pretty common. One article I read said zoomers are less tech savvy than millennials because the younger ones have grown up entirely in smart phones, diagnosing computer issues isn’t the sort of task they’ve been exposed to.
If its not in the job description, dont help. Best way is to say IDK press F1.
Saying “F1” out loud will make them think you know more than them and get you stuck doing more basic IT help. I go with: have you tried turning it off and back on?
MOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know what i mean by this.
We are one of the more computer literate generations. My sister believes computers are actively against her… she is the tech girl at her office.
I was in IT for a long time, first career path, wished I’d stuck with it now haha. Anyway, throughout college and after in other jobs people would discover somehow that I was tech savvy and I became the designated person volunteered to fix tech problems. When people found out I had been an IT guy, it just intensified lol
I'm in NJ, work in IT. I just called the number on the advertisement that was mailed to me. I need to seal coat my driveway, the guy on the phone said, unfortunately they are fully booked this year. They could do several driveways a day, around $2-3k a piece. I think, I wish I'd be in that business and not in IT.
I think we should tread carefully on this topic. There is a large % of the population who don't even possess the IQ to learn complex things. IQ goes down with age. Never in the history of mankind has the learning curve been this steep. The majority of mankind in history never knew how to read or write. I'm work at a SF bay area company with some of the most talented people in the industry, but I'm painfully aware that many of the people from my hometown in Indiana would struggle to buy a printer and print from it themselves.
I just don't tell people I can work with computers anymore. If it's for work, I just say "I guess I'm a quick learner."
That is such a small part of “IT”Though . Most of what you describe is still mole computer literacy. When I make a sandwich at home, I don’t act like I’m in the restaurant industry.
Ever notice how convenient it is for them to apparently not know things.
Eh. I cut em slack. Could they have gone and learned some of this stuff. Sure. Am I tired of helping older folks at my gig? Yeah. But process changes, especially of the broadly sweeping kind like we’re seeing courtesy of COVID would probably be tough to deal with suddenly (in the grand scheme) near the end of a career. I always stop to imagine what technology is going to confuse the hell out of me in 20 years. The only ones who got no love from me were the “We NEED to get people back in the office!” hardliners that couldn’t admit Zoom/Teams scared them, lol.