Because – oh, you know – he so often shows that he thinks like me.
For example:
Why Seniors Don’t Care About Technology
by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
It’s a common joke in pop culture how inept seniors are when it comes to technology. They mispronounce GIF (it’s “jif,” according to GIF creator Steve Wilhite). They type their names at the end of text messages. They need help programming anything that needs programming. Ha ha. Silly old coots. (Remember, this is just a stereotype; many seniors are very capable when it comes to tech.)
Some defend seniors’ lack of tech-savvy as a result of how quickly technology changes. Today’s iPhone is tomorrow’s Blackberry. No sooner do you learn how to transfer data from your old computer to your new laptop then they change the ports and cables and you have to start all over again.
I have another explanation. Technology symbolizes optimism for the future. It exudes the promise, however hollow, of solving any and all our problems—eventually. Plus, using the latest tech is a kind of rite of passage into the generation on the fast track to the wondrous future. It is tribal fetishism. Like using slang that old folks don’t understand.
But oldsters like me aren’t interested in acquiring, we’re in the process of decluttering. Youth gathers mementos, gadgets, trendy clothes—the flotsam that both memorializes and invigorates their journey through life. We, on the frozen shores, waiting to step aboard our inevitable ice floe, wish to shed ourselves of the distractions and digressions. Sure, an app on my phone can make life easier, but will it be that much easier than the hassle of learning how to use it, update it, understand the new functions? Usually not.
This is not a screed against new-fangled technology. I actually enjoy the technological innovations. Any song, any time. Love it. Favorite movies in an instant. Wonderful. But, while I once was the first in line to purchase new tech products like the VCR, 8-track tape, flip phone, etc., I have seen them float by on the river of time like the conquered soldiers of a relentless army…
Read it all at Kareem’s SubStack Blog
LYMI,
LaughingEagle