general Why do older generations dislike modern technology?

[Luna the Great of all the Russias 2,701]

On 4/1/2020 at 7:24 AM, Sunlight Glisten said:

We see how modern devices impair your mental processing ability. Statistics are out and youth of today are the dumbest generation ever to exist. Lowest SAT and ACT scores across the board. Why would we want to be like you when we know how to do real physical things instead of pretend digital things. 

(Im actually only 31 but have seen the negative cognitive affects and research so I have chosen to abstain from the majority of modern technology. Can I do it still? for the moment, do I want to? no. For work though I still have to work with 3d modeling digitally)

I am skeptical of that claim. Even assuming that more advanced technology hinders our cognitive ability, I would first ask if the quality of the education system has been degenerating for the past several decades.

[Lucky Bolt 34,914]

On 4/1/2020 at 7:24 AM, Sunlight Glisten said:

We see how modern devices impair your mental processing ability. Statistics are out and youth of today are the dumbest generation ever to exist. Lowest SAT and ACT scores across the board. Why would we want to be like you when we know how to do real physical things instead of pretend digital things. 

I beg to differ on that one. In fact a lot of us from younger generations do. 

[Sunlight Glisten 368]

2 hours ago, 碇 シンジン said:

What? If you think about it logically that doesn't make any sense, as the baseline is that every new generation has collectively more information available to them from the beginning than the previous one. Thus more time to get used to it and learn stuff.

However more information doesn't always equal smarter though it provides a better environment for becoming smarter. So if you take out all the other factors it is more likely that the younger generations will be able to gain more knowledge than the older generations. Just because they have better starting point for the longer run.

 

I completely agree. Logically it would make sence that availability of information would make people smarter. However every measurement that can be taken has proven otherwise. I think the issue is that people know they can look something up any time they need it that they never actually learn the information. Example: grandma can make cookies from scratch, young adult who regularly makes cookies will still google a recipe because they never "learned" the information to make a cookie.

1 hour ago, Luna the Great of all the Russias said:

I am skeptical of that claim. Even assuming that more advanced technology hinders our cognitive ability, I would first ask if the quality of the education system has been degenerating for the past several decades.

I work in public ed. And yes. It has been. And yet we have more technology in schools now than ever before. 

[Sunlight Glisten 368]

34 minutes ago, Lucky Bolt said:

I beg to differ on that one. In fact a lot of us from younger generations do. 

From what I've learned of you you really have broken the mold that I am casting. You leaned how to work on cars which is a very rare skill among the youth of today. If you look at most people your age they likely spend way more time on tik tok than they do actually doing something. Thats what makes you awesome. You do things. 

[Luna the Great of all the Russias 2,701]

15 minutes ago, Sunlight Glisten said:

I completely agree. Logically it would make sence that availability of information would make people smarter. However every measurement that can be taken has proven otherwise. I think the issue is that people know they can look something up any time they need it that they never actually learn the information. Example: grandma can make cookies from scratch, young adult who regularly makes cookies will still google a recipe because they never "learned" the information to make a cookie.

Hmm... Is it necessarily a bad thing? I think it is said that people from illiterate cultures had far better memory than people from literate cultures. But clearly, reading and writing is invaluable to us so perhaps it was worth the trade-off of worse memory; notes on paper can act in the place of our prior memory capacity. Even assuming with each technological innovation there is some cognitive ability that gets inhibited, perhaps we are still better off because the new technology allows us to do more things than before it existed. But really the problem is not the technology itself but how we use it; we are still responsible for our own well-being and development after all.

I would wonder if it is really necessary for you to avoid modern technology if your concern is going through a cognitive decline. Though if you have already gotten accustomed to your lifestyle and see no benefits of introducing modern technology anyway, then I suppose there is no reason to change.

[碇 シンジン 27,427]

51 minutes ago, Sunlight Glisten said:

I completely agree. Logically it would make sence that availability of information would make people smarter. However every measurement that can be taken has proven otherwise. I think the issue is that people know they can look something up any time they need it that they never actually learn the information. Example: grandma can make cookies from scratch, young adult who regularly makes cookies will still google a recipe because they never "learned" the information to make a cookie.

I work in public ed. And yes. It has been. And yet we have more technology in schools now than ever before. 

So it kinda boils down to what we consider being smart is. Young people are smart as to look up information on how to make cookies grandma has instead learnt the recipe as they didn't have anything to look it up from in a regular basis back then.

These days you don't really need to learn a recipe if you can look it up somewhere and it is a one off thing you are making. I think being smart can be seen as  being able to solve problems. 

However question arises that is it your own smartness that you use Google to search for answers to the problem? I don't know but as far as I'm concerned even with Google some problems are not really easy to solve especially the ones that involve very specific situation that isn't very common.

Common problems like how to make cookies are pretty easy to find and won't require much gymnastics unless you ramp up the difficulty. 

[Sunlight Glisten 368]

2 hours ago, Luna the Great of all the Russias said:

Hmm... Is it necessarily a bad thing? I think it is said that people from illiterate cultures had far better memory than people from literate cultures. But clearly, reading and writing is invaluable to us so perhaps it was worth the trade-off of worse memory; notes on paper can act in the place of our prior memory capacity. Even assuming with each technological innovation there is some cognitive ability that gets inhibited, perhaps we are still better off because the new technology allows us to do more things than before it existed. But really the problem is not the technology itself but how we use it; we are still responsible for our own well-being and development after all.

I would wonder if it is really necessary for you to avoid modern technology if your concern is going through a cognitive decline. Though if you have already gotten accustomed to your lifestyle and see no benefits of introducing modern technology anyway, then I suppose there is no reason to change.

For me personaly I know how to use it for benefit and not get trapped in the vicious cycle of screen addiction. I remove technology for the sake of my kids who at their current ages lack the foresight or capacity to use technology responsibly. I will teach them how to use a computer/phone, I will not let them run free with a computer/phone for unlimited hours. 

[Sunlight Glisten 368]

1 hour ago, 碇 シンジン said:

So it kinda boils down to what we consider being smart is. Young people are smart as to look up information on how to make cookies grandma has instead learnt the recipe as they didn't have anything to look it up from in a regular basis back then.

These days you don't really need to learn a recipe if you can look it up somewhere and it is a one off thing you are making. I think being smart can be seen as  being able to solve problems. 

However question arises that is it your own smartness that you use Google to search for answers to the problem? I don't know but as far as I'm concerned even with Google some problems are not really easy to solve especially the ones that involve very specific situation that isn't very common.

Common problems like how to make cookies are pretty easy to find and won't require much gymnastics unless you ramp up the difficulty. 

You've hit the nail on the head. The internet is great to solve all sorts of badic provlems for us say level 1 problems.  Yet when we find a problem the internet cant solve, level 2, people become unable to solve and give up because their brains have not exercised  the ability to problem solve. If you jog frequently then when you need to run a marathon you are likely to be able to do so. If you drive everywhere (google) then you need to run a marathon (say your car broke down 27 miles from town... with your wife in labor and no cell phone coverage) you will not be able to do so. Yes the 2nd part of my metaphor is a long shot to happen just like finding problems google doesnt solve is a long shot these days. I would still rather be capable of doing something on my own and not need too, than incapable. 

I love metaphors. (Also I hate running) (I've had students that seem to legitimately hate thinking) 

Edited April 3, 2020 by Sunlight Glisten

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

Cause they don’t know how to use it and they get mad when we don’t know how to use it either

[碇 シンジン 27,427]

14 hours ago, Sunlight Glisten said:

You've hit the nail on the head. The internet is great to solve all sorts of badic provlems for us say level 1 problems.  Yet when we find a problem the internet cant solve, level 2, people become unable to solve and give up because their brains have not exercised  the ability to problem solve. If you jog frequently then when you need to run a marathon you are likely to be able to do so. If you drive everywhere (google) then you need to run a marathon (say your car broke down 27 miles from town... with your wife in labor and no cell phone coverage) you will not be able to do so. Yes the 2nd part of my metaphor is a long shot to happen just like finding problems google doesnt solve is a long shot these days. I would still rather be capable of doing something on my own and not need too, than incapable. 

I love metaphors. (Also I hate running) (I've had students that seem to legitimately hate thinking) 

Yeah I agree the issue arises when people stop using Google like a tool in order to find answers and use it straight for the answers without even thinking in the process. Just like when writing an answer to some question you dont learn anything if you just copypaste it in, you learn much more if you manually type the stuff in even if both would result the exact same text. Focusing on something and thinking/doing it yourself are good ways to learn when compared to copypasting, and stuff like that.

I wouldnt say that the technology itself is bad thing though but it gives rise to this new issue where people dont really think for themselves and just get the answers to everything straight from google, but on the other hand it can be really valuable tool for furthering your understanding and gaining new information if you actually put your mind into it.

[vampireponyprince 184]

I think its the difference of the younger generations growing up being surrounded by it. I didn't have a smart phone till senior year of highschool and at first I hated it but after surrounding myself with tech it makes things easier to be adjusted to them. my dads older than the internet. grew up using type writers and the like. he loves Netflix now because he chose to let himself be surrounded by technology I find that people who are surrounded by it day in day out tend to accept it and like it more

[Justin_Case001 4,855]

Or, perhaps you'd prefer hearing it from Storm:

It's very easy to use technology when you're raised with it.  For many, learning a new technology is so daunting, it may not be feasible.  I liken it to learning a new language, which is extremely difficult for adults.  I would never be comfortable with a new language, no matter how much I practiced.  For some, getting "caught up" may never be realistically possible.

Case in point, with the recent Windows 7 end of life (F*ck you, Microsoft, f*ck you to the depths of Tartarus, I hope you die a thousand deaths you f*cking... grumble grumble...), I decided to try to make the move to Linux.  I fancy myself a computing prodigy, but diving into Linux for the first time left me feeling a profoundly disturbing sense of confusion and frustration.  If I had dabbled with Linux here and there for the past 15 years, I'd be in good shape, but for the total newcomer who's used nothing but Windows, Linux can be scary.  I've always been a cutting-edge tech sort of guy, and this experience is teaching me just how hard it can be to adapt to something new.

But it all depends on the person and the tech.  I turned my 63 year old mother into a proper gamer, and she had never touched a video game in her life before about four years ago.  Now she's completed, among other things, Skyrim, RDR1, Fallout 3 & 4, Far Cry 2, 3, and Blood Dragon, Fable the Lost Chapters, Halo 1-3, ODST, and Reach, and The Witcher 3.  She's working on Fallout New Vegas right now, then it's on to Far Cry 5 and RDR2.  I get a kick out bragging about her and all the games she's played.  I'm just so darn proud of her.  I mean, she doesn't play them on the hardest difficulty or anything, but she does a respectable job.  Okay, well that was all just selfish bragging.  This must be how parents feel when they brag out their kids' successes.  What a strange reversal.

[Cirrus. 1,088]

I think this is kind of funny, particularly because of my case of opposites.

 

My grandparents on my Dad's side were up to date with technology to the end. My grandpa died in late 2014 (89 yrs. old) and my grandmother died in early 2017(80 yrs. old).

My grandma had a crazy home theater system with like 6 remotes that she could operate no problem. It had surround sound with a sub-woofer, a turntable, reel to reel tape, Cassette decks, CD carousel, DVD/DVD Recorders, VCRs, and a DVR. My grandpa somehow kept it up for her until the US's digital conversion, although when I started maintaining it for her I found many random cords left behind during battle there.

The main TV and cable box was HD, but the main A/V receiver was mid 2000's so it had a few digital audio inputs but was mostly analog hookups with MASSIVE spaghetti of wiring behind everything. I had to add in several digital cable converters and digital over the air tuner boxes so she could set her VCR's and DVR's to record after the Digital broadcast conversion in the US.

I wish I had a picture of how it looked behind it. Every time she wanted me to make a change I literally ripped ALL THE WIRES OUT OF EVERYTHING and started over. There was literally NO WAY to trace the wires due to it's space/location. My grandpa had attempted putting colored tape on some ends, but he too realized it was hopeless.

So when anything needed modification I would ask her what device she wanted to do what with,and with what button on the remote. I would then connect everything appropriately all from scratch.

It was time consuming, but it was the only way. Luckily I like messing with AV equipment and problem solving. All I can say is that HDMI, BLUETOOTH, AND STREAMING OF TODAY IS WONDERFUL compared to that headache!

Now for my grandpa who made it to 89, He had a decent Windows 7 PC and scanned pictures and slides and edited them. He also had several digital cameras over the years. He edited and burned his pictures to CD's and DVD's for archiving and also took them to the store to make prints. He also used the internet well. The funny thing is that my grandmother refused to use the computer although I think she would have loved it.

 

As for my 80 year old grandmother on my Mom's side who's still alive...

TOTAL OPPOSITE. She thinks a lot modern technology is unnecessary and stupid. She's never used a computer and refuses. Her attitude is that she made it this far without needing it.

Other than anti-technology she still drives, is sharp mentally, and her apartment stylistically is pretty up to date and doesn't look "grandma-ish."

We tried the smart phone thing when her old cell phone wouldn't hold a charge, but even in simple mode she wasn't having it after only 3 days. She now has a flip phone jitterbug or something like that.

 

Edited April 4, 2020 by Cirrus.

[Spark Plug 27]

Because they're so used to using what they grew up with I guess? I don't know though there's a few things about modern technology I don't even like, and I'm gen z lol. 

[Splashee 28,537]

Older generations tend to be easily fooled by email spam. They especially like people that spell wrong, and asks for money. This causes the email spam to evolve to be more effective in that way. But for us younger generations that can see past obvious spelling errors, we have to live with the annoyance of spam!

[Pentium100 2,056]

On 4/4/2020 at 4:14 PM, Cirrus. said:

There was literally NO WAY to trace the wires due to it's space/location. My grandpa had attempted putting colored tape on some ends, but he too realized it was hopeless.

You should be marking the cables, for example with these

 

My sound system is completely analog and has lots of cables (especially the one in the tv room). Yes, they are difficult to trace, but I just use those zipties to mark some of them (probably should mark the rest at some point).and now I know where the other end is supposed to go.

Those zipties are also useful for network or power cables (which goes to which server etc).

[Fluttershyfan94 5,738]

I believe you have to think of it a certain way, they're a generation that has seen many new inventions and new technology. So in a sense I think there might be a certain surrender to it like why bother there will be something new to learn on next month. That said I know some older generations that are if anything more tech savy then others, so those usually who are against it are the ones that simply can't be bothered with it. 

Perhaps as it may not be as big a deal to them, they've lived many years without it so why now. Yet still it isn't as if they cant learn on it more they just can't be bothered is my thoughts on it. Though then again I don't know why computers or smart phones would do much for them. Since they instead actually go and meet people they talk to them on the phone some prefer reading books for knowledge. So I don't judge them for it especially as the current generations are very dumb so I'm sure more then half of our generation won't live up to their age to begin with. Then on top of that being so dependent on technology I wonder if we'll be the same way when something new unconventional comes out as new technology. 

[Splashee 28,537]

I have a smart phone now. It has Android on it. It does all the cool things like trying to connect you to a gmail account (every second) even when I already had an email account from 1994. I feel like older generations like myself are being phased out.

[Mlppotterwhoovian 381]

I think it’s because they assume we spend too much time with the modern technology instead of doing activities they considered fun.