Parents and Technology

The world we grow up in today is not the same world our parents were raised in. Living in a society that demands the use of electronics can be very difficult and confusing if you aren’t familiar with it. Fortunately for kids in our generation, we have mastered technology because we have had it at our fingertips ever since we could read and write. Most of our parents, on the other hand, are in a constant struggle with electronics. Nehan Simon, a Sophomore at Academy, comments, “My parents learn about technology mostly by me teaching them.” Yes, it can be annoying when parents are constantly asking their kids how to work their phones and computers, but they can’t help it because they did not grow up in the high tech society we did. The most frequent mistakes they make seem silly to us; can you relate to the following tech goofs?

  1. Zooming in on Instagram

One of the most common mistakes made by adults over the age of forty is trying to zoom in on a picture on Instagram. Junior, Laney Rodriguez states, “Whenever I try to show my mom a picture off of instagram, she always gets so frustrated because zooming in on the picture isn’t working. Mom, it’s not going to happen.”

  1. Kids can’t fix every technology problem

Why do parents always assume that their kids have the answer to every problem involving technology? We aren’t IT specialists. Yes, kids will be able to help with the everyday problems of technology, but unfortunately, we can’t rewire a computer or set up the WiFi system in your house.

 

Giphy.com

Credits: Giphy

  1. Not knowing how to work the cameras on iPhones

The perfect shot is never easy when you rely on a parent to take the picture. “My parents always get confused when I ask them to take turn the flash on or off and I always have to do it for them,” recalls Lily Martinez. Usually, you have to stand and wait until they can figure out how to use the camera, and who knows how long that will take? One of most common mistakes adults make is not knowing that they can just slide the camera button on the lock screen up to take a picture quickly. Typing in their own passcode to unlock the phone and then get to the camera icon is time wasted in getting that perfect candid shot.

Giphy.com
  1. Not knowing how to cut and paste

A common question adults ask when they are using computers is, “How do I cut and paste?” No, “cut and paste” does not involve scissors and glue, like it did in elementary school. This is a concept that is second nature to kids, but foreign to adults.

Giphy.com

 

  1. Texting Acronyms

My parents always comment at how fast my sister and I can text off our phones. Acronyms are built in for a reason so you don’t have to write out words.  But for adults, like my mom, they insist on having complete sentences, proper grammar, and correct punctuation, as if writing a paper.  Parents don’t understand that acronyms like “ik” (I Know) is not a word, and we did not mean to put the word “it”.

Are your parents technologically deficient? Share your funny stories below!