Grandma's and iPhones: The Bane of My Existence

So in my family, I’m considered the “techy.” Don’t ask why; I think it’s because I own a tablet, phone, and laptop. Apparently, this means that I should know how to create websites and generate stock market values. Not really (but kind of). However, the absolute worst thing about being the family techy is when anything with a plug goes awry at my grandparents’ house, guess who they call? That’s right: me. Having to explain to your grandmother what the Passport app on her phone is and why “You will never, ever use it grandma. Just ignore it,” is enough to make anyone go insane.

            It can be so frustrating to deal with someone who just doesn’t seem to understand technology. But then, you have to remember the difference between digital natives and digital immigrants. A digital native is someone who has grown up in the “technology era.” Their familiarity with technology gives them the ability to understand and adapt to technology quite quickly. The general age to be considered a technology native is someone is was born in 1985 or later. However, for all those born before that, they could arguably be considered a digital immigrant.

            A digital immigrant is someone who was born before our technology-dependent society. They had to adapt and change in order to learn to use technology, thusly making them not quite as skillful when doing so. Most now-parents and grandparents are considered digital immigrants. However, being a digital immigrant doesn’t mean that one is not good at using technology. It does mean, however, that it might take someone a little bit longer to learn how to use the technology.

            Being a digital immigrant also might contribute to the hysteria in technological hype vs. hysteria. My grandmother still turns off her cellphone when she goes into a doctor’s office because she doesn’t want the government to learn her medical information. As if there weren’t better ways of finding it than listening through a cellphone? Does she not realize that everything is documented on the computer anyway? Either way, this is just the type of hysteria that seems pretty common for digital immigrants.

            My grandfather, on the other hand, is definitely one who agrees with the technological hype. When the iPhone 5 came out, he was the oldest person standing in line at our local Apple store. My grandfather is of the view that technology is something the world should be excited about and want to integrate into our daily lives. Ultimately, neither hype nor hysteria is an inappropriate view, but some views might be a bit more rational than others.

            Once again, neither view in the everlasting debate of hype vs. hysteria is wrong. Technology is a very new thing and thusly can sometimes lack regulation and be a scary aspect. On the other hand, technology has made the lives of humans so much easier and carefree. We can now access information with the click of a button, we can let our mothers know where we are at all times, and we can even tweet from our refrigerators! Whether you’re a digital native or a digital immigrant, whether you bow to the hype of the hysteria, technology is definitely something that is evolving our ways of life.