Too Old for Technology? Or Just Too Stubborn?
“I’m too old for technology.”
I hear this all the time and I just don’t buy it anymore.
Controversial?
Maybe.
I got my first mobile phone when I was 18, which was about 30(ish) years ago now. Someone who is 70 or 80 today was in their forties when the internet and mobile phones were becoming mainstream. They have had technology as long as I have, I was just slightly younger when I was introduced to it.
And in my forties, I’m as open to learning, adapting and being curious as I ever was. In fact, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that continues.
Now, I know there is some truth in the idea that learning new things can become harder as we get older. Our processing speed, working memory and some other aspects of cognitive function can decline with age, and younger brains do have some advantages when it comes to certain types of learning.
But that is very different from saying you are “too old to learn”.
Our brains remain capable of changing and adapting throughout our lives. Neuroplasticity doesn't just disappear because you've had a few more birthdays.
It might take you longer.
You might need someone to show you.
You might need to write the instructions down.
You might even need to ask the same question three times.
That's fine.
But you're not too old.
And I think I've got a perfect example of this with the new football season starting this month.
My whole family are Ipswich Town season ticket holders, everyone responsible for their own tickets. Previously we had plastic credit-card-style cards and someone would always shout “got your season tickets?” as we got in the car. There has only been one occasion where we've got halfway to a match and realised one person forgot theirs.
For the new season, we have digital tickets.
They're stored in our digital wallets, the ticket displays the date, kick-off time and opponents for the next match, the ticket pops up when you're in the vicinity of the ground, and you tap in at the turnstile just as you would pay for your shopping.
What's not to love about that?
To get the ticket onto your phone in the first place, you were sent an email to log into your ITFC account, with exact instructions to locate your season ticket. You click the “Add to Apple Wallet” or “Add to Google Wallet” button and the job is done.
Honestly, it was really easy.
But that's what learning is. Something is unfamiliar, so you learn how to use it. And, to be fair, Ipswich Town has gone above and beyond to accommodate people who are struggling with the change. They've provided instructions, offered how-to workshops and there is even the option to apply for a physical ticket. So the support is there and the alternative is there.
But apparently, for some people, the fact that it's new is enough to decide they can't do it because they're “too old for tech”. And this is the bit I don't understand.
If you're 70 today, you were in your forties when the internet started becoming part of everyday life. You've seen technology change enormously over the last 30 years. You went from four channels and a VHS recorder to streaming services, from cassette tapes and CDs to Spotify, from paper maps to Google Maps, from landlines to smartphones and from going into the bank to banking on your phone.
And I'm pretty sure most of the people bemoaning being “too old for tech” are managing to order things from Amazon, listen to music and watch TV. And TV has changed considerably in the last 30 years.
My Dad died in 1993, so he never got to see any of this. I've actually written about what I think he'd make of the world of technology today, and I genuinely think his mind would be blown.
From Wires to Wi-Fi: A Tech Tribute to My Dad
The difference is, he didn't get the opportunity to adapt to any of it. The rest of us have.
So perhaps it's not technology itself that is the problem. Perhaps it's being asked to change something that has worked perfectly well for years.
My father-in-law (early 70s) will not use internet banking because he doesn't trust it. Every birthday and Christmas we all receive a cheque in the post, which quite honestly is a ball-ache to deal with because the old system doesn't work particularly well with the new system. And I completely understand not trusting something. You don't have to blindly accept every new bit of technology that comes along. But there is a difference between saying “I don't trust this, so I'm choosing not to use it” and “I'm too old to learn how to use this”. The first is a choice. The second is an assumption about yourself, and I think that's what bothers me.
I'm not saying everyone needs to be on every new app, use online banking, have a smartwatch or embrace AI. You don't. But please stop telling yourself you're too old to learn. If you don't understand something, ask. If you don't know how to do something, get someone to show you. If you're worried about it, find out how it works. And if, after all that, you decide you still don't want to use it? Fair enough. At least you've made an informed decision.
Because being unfamiliar with technology isn't the same as being incapable of learning it, and being older doesn't mean you suddenly lose your ability to learn new things. I'm 49 and I have no intention of deciding I'm too old for technology. I'm still curious, I'm still learning and I will continue to adapt because I don't want my age to become an excuse for stopping.
So, as far as I'm concerned…
It's not “I'm too old for tech.”
Sometimes it's “I don't understand it yet.”
Sometimes it's “I need someone to show me.”
And sometimes, if we're being brutally honest...
It's “I'm being too stubborn to change”!
