This post was a long time coming.. I had half of it written but as I wrote it I realised how much more I had learnt since I started writing it. Further more after feedback from my mother I realised I might have been a little insensitive.. to peoples age!
So after a few alterations... here it is:
Most of the people I work with happen to be a little older than I am.Now that is not as bad as it sounds because I'm used to being mature.. sorta.
One of the things I notice most of them have issues with technology.. more because they haven't had technology as part of their culture.. we.. i.e. kids from the late 70s were brought up with computing devices all around us.. this makes us more accepting of technology and things are more intuitive because we are used to it.
I am usually really patient with them and explain stuff multiple times without being patronising. Because of this I get asked to sort out personal phones, tablets and laptops. I also get asked to sort out simple Computing issues.
The other day however I noticed that most of the questions they ask me (multiple times) are the same questions that my parents ask me.
I however don't do the same thing at home; I scream and grumble and get irritated when ever they ask me questions over and over... 'I just showed you how to do that' seems to be my mantra most of the time.. usually through gritted teeth.
I felt bad not just bad but angry.. very angry with myself.. I thought why would I do that.. to the same parents that taught me everything.. (yes I know some of you will say the education system taught me a lot of it.. but without the alphabet what use would that be... it's kind of like 'Zero' without which the entire numeric system is useless).
Okay getting back on track.. so I wondered why I was doing this.. why the double standards.. then it dawned on me.. I remembered every I don't care how long they are out until you have to be home by... They can do what they want to do I said you aren't going to do that.. I didn't expect that from you.. that is exactly what it was.. I didn't expect this from them..
My parents are educated and very IT literate.. there was no way they were going to be the kind of people that got blinded by IT.
One thing my dad always told me and I need to make sure I remember and remind him of all the time is 'It is just a machine.. worst case it will need to be fixed'.
Here are a couple ways that I have learnt to deal with this.. deal is a rather crude word but you get the point.
If it is the first time :
I usually will explain to them in the least possible steps. probably make them do it a couple times while I'm watching over their shoulder.
This time I am verrryyyy patient and calm anyway.
The question that has been repeated more than a few times..:
Something that they ask about over and over again.
1. I usually go through the same steps calmly.. and sometimes insist on them repeating the process to me without actually doing it.
2. The second method is prompting.. I'll ask them what do you want to do... for example if it is installing an app it goes something like this..
Me: okay so you want to install an app.. where would you install if from.
Parent: the internet?
Me: yes.. so you need to make sure you have what switched on?
Parent: the net... umm.. wifi?
Me: yup.. so where on the net would you find it.. like what would you open on your phone..?
Parent: oh the store thing... the google store.. the app store.. no the play store.
Me: Right.. so where on your phone would that be?
Parent:... oh okay with all the apps...
Anyway you probably get the drift..
3. The third is literally writing it down for them..step by step.. or better still with screen prints. (Remember the flash cards you used to learn your ABCs.. don't ever forget them!)
4. The fourth method is the best and most effective.. if possible do it yourself!
I find it is really simple to control a computer remotely these days.. and if its an app they are after just sign in as them on chrome and install the app to their device!
I know I'm not the first one that does this and definitely won't be the last.. but I do try to be more sensible about how I react to it.
Please leave a comment with your method(s).
So after a few alterations... here it is:
Most of the people I work with happen to be a little older than I am.Now that is not as bad as it sounds because I'm used to being mature.. sorta.
One of the things I notice most of them have issues with technology.. more because they haven't had technology as part of their culture.. we.. i.e. kids from the late 70s were brought up with computing devices all around us.. this makes us more accepting of technology and things are more intuitive because we are used to it.
I am usually really patient with them and explain stuff multiple times without being patronising. Because of this I get asked to sort out personal phones, tablets and laptops. I also get asked to sort out simple Computing issues.
The other day however I noticed that most of the questions they ask me (multiple times) are the same questions that my parents ask me.
I however don't do the same thing at home; I scream and grumble and get irritated when ever they ask me questions over and over... 'I just showed you how to do that' seems to be my mantra most of the time.. usually through gritted teeth.
I felt bad not just bad but angry.. very angry with myself.. I thought why would I do that.. to the same parents that taught me everything.. (yes I know some of you will say the education system taught me a lot of it.. but without the alphabet what use would that be... it's kind of like 'Zero' without which the entire numeric system is useless).
Okay getting back on track.. so I wondered why I was doing this.. why the double standards.. then it dawned on me.. I remembered every I don't care how long they are out until you have to be home by... They can do what they want to do I said you aren't going to do that.. I didn't expect that from you.. that is exactly what it was.. I didn't expect this from them..
My parents are educated and very IT literate.. there was no way they were going to be the kind of people that got blinded by IT.
One thing my dad always told me and I need to make sure I remember and remind him of all the time is 'It is just a machine.. worst case it will need to be fixed'.
Here are a couple ways that I have learnt to deal with this.. deal is a rather crude word but you get the point.
If it is the first time :
I usually will explain to them in the least possible steps. probably make them do it a couple times while I'm watching over their shoulder.
This time I am verrryyyy patient and calm anyway.
The question that has been repeated more than a few times..:
Something that they ask about over and over again.
1. I usually go through the same steps calmly.. and sometimes insist on them repeating the process to me without actually doing it.
2. The second method is prompting.. I'll ask them what do you want to do... for example if it is installing an app it goes something like this..
Me: okay so you want to install an app.. where would you install if from.
Parent: the internet?
Me: yes.. so you need to make sure you have what switched on?
Parent: the net... umm.. wifi?
Me: yup.. so where on the net would you find it.. like what would you open on your phone..?
Parent: oh the store thing... the google store.. the app store.. no the play store.
Me: Right.. so where on your phone would that be?
Parent:... oh okay with all the apps...
Anyway you probably get the drift..
3. The third is literally writing it down for them..step by step.. or better still with screen prints. (Remember the flash cards you used to learn your ABCs.. don't ever forget them!)
4. The fourth method is the best and most effective.. if possible do it yourself!
I find it is really simple to control a computer remotely these days.. and if its an app they are after just sign in as them on chrome and install the app to their device!
I know I'm not the first one that does this and definitely won't be the last.. but I do try to be more sensible about how I react to it.
Please leave a comment with your method(s).
