Dear LPG, 
 

I think that I must be a very fortunate oldie because quite a few members of my family know a thing or two about all the technical and communication gadgets we live with these days, and since I retired I have learned to deal with more of them than I ever thought I would manage to.  I cannot explain how hard I found learning to find anything I want to see on my new television, and after years of having one, Alexa is a constant learning curve to give just two examples.  

But luckily, I have learned quite a lot about the things my phone can do in addition to getting me talking to people and when I get stuck, I have a choice of young people that I can ask for an explanation.  I try not to appear too silly though and always ask the internet first so that I have half an idea of what I am talking about before approaching my young army of cyber experts. 

There is one son who always makes me feel like an ignoramus, so he is my last resort.  He is very caring, and I love him dearly but he explains things so quickly and by the time he has started the 3rd repetition, he is more likely to take the thing away from me and sort the problem without my learning anything at all.  My other son never has enough time for going over everything a second time.  His explanations sound more like a lecture that I feel I daren’t interrupt.  I have no doubt that I am not the only older parent who has to suffer those ‘I told you that last time!’ moments nearly every time I broach a computer-related question, and he is the one who has perfected that phrase.    

Then there is my nephew who teaches computer science in secondary school.  His years of teaching show.  When I ask him, he is more willing to repeat things and offer the occasional, ‘Do you understand that now?’  The question seems to give me permission to ask again without feeling that I am obstructing the flow of what seems like his prepared teaching spiel. He always seems to include somewhat complicated phrases and expressions that go right over my head.   

My daughter is perhaps my best ‘go-to’ person because, in spite of the fact that she is the least knowledgeable of all, she will go over things without making me feel like an idiot.  

I feel particularly lucky to be able to have four people to approach with my problems, and I often need to make at least three out of four approaches to different experts before getting any idea of what they are talking about, although I have learned never to ask anything when two or more of them are present.  Once they start talking to each other in jargon, I have no chance of learning anything!  

I think that there is a lot of science needed when approaching those younger members of your family who understand your technical gadgets if you want to actually leave one of their lessons with the answers you need.   

I do feel fortunate to have all these people that I can ask, but the hard truth is that in spite of the fact that they have the answers and are willing to teach them to me, it does not necessarily guarantee that I end up learning all the facts.  


HE, Croydon.