Years ago, I received my first iPod as a birthday present. My 12-year-old son had gotten one a few months prior and sweetly offered to help me set it up. I graciously accepted his offer, thinking I was one step closer to tech-savvy mom status.
You know that saying, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”? Well, my son handed me that first fish, and here I am, still floundering in the tech ocean.
From the outside, I appear to be fully immersed in the 21st century; I work on an iMac, communicate via my iPhone, and even read eBooks on my iPad. But in reality? I’m just a mom at the mercy of my kids whenever technology takes a turn for the worse.
Every week, my computer decides to slow down, prompting me to call one of the kids for help. “Mom!” my daughter scolds, “How many windows did you open? You need to close them!” I always think I did but apparently not. Sometimes my toolbar mysteriously vanishes. I sit there bewildered until my son walks in for a snack, at which point I casually ask him to take a look. A few taps later, and voilà, it’s fixed.
Texting is another area where I fall short. My kids chuckle at my index finger pecking. “You’re supposed to use both thumbs!” they chime in. How? I mean, my thumbs feel normal-sized, but when I try to use them, it’s like I suddenly forgot how to type.
Then there are those pesky disappearing apps. I’ll unintentionally swipe something on my phone, and my Safari icon vanishes into thin air. Thankfully, my kids swoop in like tech-savvy superheroes to rescue it.
I once mentioned my tech struggles to the technology teacher at my children’s school. She explained that today’s kids grow up immersed in tech, making it second nature. Meanwhile, folks like me didn’t have that advantage, making it trickier to adapt.
Ironically, I used to be pretty adept with electronics back in my teen years. When my family got our first VCR in the 70s, I was the designated “set the VCR” expert. My parents would call me (on a rotary phone, mind you) for help, and I would come home to find their VCR flashing “12:00.” I couldn’t fathom why they struggled, but now, I completely understand.
A few years back, my editor asked me to hyperlink something for an article. I was utterly lost, so I turned to my daughter, who, of course, knew exactly what to do. This time, instead of letting her do it for me, I asked her to teach me. I realized I needed to learn to fish, especially since my top tech consultant is heading off to college soon.
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In summary, while I may be a tech-challenged mom, I’m determined to learn. After all, technology is here to stay, and I can’t rely on my kids forever!