Smart TVs Make Old People Feel Dumb
My friend is 83, the same age as I. She's not comfortable with technology. Her solution was to watch streaming platforms on her desktop computer, and cable television on her TV.
She is an extremely intelligent woman, but like many our age is often frustrated with online ordering, a cellphone that demands updates, and now her newest appliance, a Smart TV. The new TV was not her choice; family members goaded her.
Previously, she managed to watch her favorite shows comfortably. But now, with the souped-up version, she finds her heart rate rising, and anxiety threatening anger rather than pleasure.
My friend shared this with me, but she is not alone. The Pew Research Centre reported in 2014, that as many as 77 percent of seniors report they would require assistance were they to try and learn how to use a tech device.
Sadly, in the intervening eight years, technology has become even more sophisticated, and likely a higher percentage of my age group are throwing up their hands at the growing difficulty.
Among other complaints, my friend felt angry and defeated that two remotes accompanied her Smart TV. I don't blame her; I have three.
Now combine those remotes with their teeny buttons to be maneuvered with arthritic fingers. Add in sound set at a level that requires perfect eyesight to manage increase and decrease.
My hearing is fine, but I've learned how to use closed captions to be certain I don't miss a word. But this helpmate is not always easy to access, even on my Samsung that professes intelligence.
I often wonder what the age was of those who assembled the first Smart TV. I imagine them to be male, in their 20's, and childhood fans of Legos. Armed with eyesight and hearing that could spot an attractive gal in the window of the office building across the avenue, they could never envision their product would be desired by their grandparents.
The kids might think, "They're happy with their rotary phones on the hall table, radios that dial right or left, and TVs that play episodes of "Columbo" and "Jeopardy."
We were never their target market. I find this lack of empathy to be an example of ageism. At the same time, I wonder at the shortsightedness of makers who are ignoring a substantial segment of the population that may have retirement savings and abundant time to be entertained.
Do the developers of TVs, cellphones, iPads, and computers include people over the age of 80 on their crew? To pinpoint problems, have they sampled their newest versions with members of my age cohort? Or like so many producers, do they continue to try and outrun competitors to earmark younger folk with the latest tech.
There is one more issue with senior subscribers, which we can't blame on tech developers: patience. At our age, likely in the last decade of our lives, patience is scant.
But I am an anomaly; an old lady so enamored with tech that I once worked at an Apple Store. Before that, I owned a Kaypro computer that was green metal and looked as if it would be content in Army barracks. WordStar was the writing program.
I often wonder why I, a writer who swoons over ink pens and legal pads, fell for the opposite. I think it's tagged to efficiency. I no longer had to use a mimeograph machine to produce newsletters (circa 1970 for my community), and I could banish whiteout to the dustbin.
In 2010, when I was a mere 72, I started a blog called, "Never Too Old To Talk Tech." I wrote essays about sharing links, shortening web addresses, saving to Google Docs, how to cut and paste, using iPhoto, and other tasks my cohort found difficult.
At the same time, I taught a class with a similar theme at the Chicago Public Library. Seniors brought their cellular phones, computers, and iPads, and together we'd attempt a solution to their latest blockade.
Back then; I thought I was being helpful. My class was popular and students were eager to learn. But now I believe my attention should have been targeted to manufacturers. They are the ones who make older people feel dense just because we can't figure out how to work their latest triumph.
Here's an idea: if ever manufacturers of tech devices are willing to take a trip from Silicon Valley and listen to the complaints and suggestions of my senior set, I'll use my airline miles to offset their expenses. (Just kidding.)
My friend and I will gather others our age to chat. We promise to behave.