Opinion: Due to the speed at which technology advances, a large % of people over age 50 have become mostly useless. (1 Viewer)

[NewlyRetired]

This has been within the last 5 years.  They just don't like using computers or smart phones.  

amazing.

 

[jon_mx]

Kind of a crazy opinion.  I was useless long before technology came along. 

 

[BoltBacker]

People who were perfectly capable of working in a white collar field at the turn of the millennium, now spend hours trying to figure out how to find use excel or update apps on their phone.  This doesn’t even include the people who come up to me asking about random spam emails and how that person knows their name.  When I tell them the emails aren’t coming from real people, you can actually see their brain melting. 

With the advances in AI and robotics I don't think it will be all that long before any age group is "useless" by some measure, even if you have a black belt in twitter today.

Digital security is a difficult subject for people of any generation imo because things change so quickly. I can't tell you the number of 20 somethings that have explained to me that they only use ios because they care about the privacy of their data. Then you ask them if they use Instagram, or Twitter, or Facebook, or any of a dozen of other social media apps than they will tell you of course they use some combination. But their private data and everything they do online is completely secure because they use ios. All you have to do is read the billboard across the street to figure that out, old man.

Just because the 50yo's don't know all the latest whiz-bang features of the CURRENT version of excel, you should also realize they have probably had to un-learn and relearn excel a dozen times in their life. A lot of them could probably tell you the ins-and-outs of Windows for Workgroups that would have your head spinning.... only you came along when a more recent version of Windows existed so you never needed to know it in the first place. Just wait a few years when the 4th new app comes along that replaces twitter. At some point you reach "update fatigue" and tire of learning all the new features of an app that will be obsolete in 18 months no matter how "important" it is now. I'm always shocked at how many times technology has "improved" the way you could communicate with a group of people all at once. You know, sort of like group email that has existed for ~25+ years. How many times has that problem been solved, and re-solved, over and over by whiz bang new apps? A lot of people are at a point they don't want to spend any more than the minimum time learning the basic functionality of a new or repackaged app that has made changes even if the changes weren't really improvements, just changes.

I do find it hard to believe that anyone has problems updating apps on their phone. But I find it even harder to believe that 20 year old programmers from somewhere in the world write apps so poorly that they need to be updated every couple of weeks and seemingly more and more they actually make the app being updated WORSE with a new UI for the sake of making a new UI or actually break some of the functionality that the app originally had in the first place. My favorite example of this is "PocketCast". I doubt a lot of 50yo's were behind the move to "improve" that app. The 20-somethings behind all those updates are the ones that are "useless" in my book but I'll admit that I am closer to 50yo than I am 20yo so it's easy for me to say.

 

[BoltBacker]

I did have clients in their 50's who said that they don't use a computer and don't even have email.  I told them that they had at least another 20 years of life ahead of them and that they are already 20 year's plus behind the curve.  If you are unwilling to even get an email address, there is no hope for you going into the future.

That's pretty amazing because it's become pretty difficult to even have a bank account without having email/cell access. I feel like that's been the case for ~10 years now. Five years ago I walked into a physical branch and they more or less told me that I needed to go online to solve the problem. It was pretty shocking at the time but then I also asked to get a small portion of cash out of the bank to purchase a used car and was told I would have to wait a week because they physically couldn't give me the cash at the moment and they had to make a weekly order for cash. I don't even really know why there are physical branches of banks around right now.

 

[Mister CIA]

BTW - just passed AWS Certified Architect Professional - the new exam version and I'll let you know it's a tough one. On my 6th birthday the Beatles made their Ed Sullivan debut. As Keerock said - GTF off my lawn.

Keep up, this thread is about Excel and updating apps; you know, technology.

 

[apalmer]

At 66, I'm old enough to have taken a Fortran course in college.  I'm self-taught with everything else (and, yeah, I did do some Basic programming back on my TRS-80).  Can I code? No, but then again, I can't repair the carburetor on my car, either. Doesn't mean I can't drive as well as someone who can. So, yeah, I can still use current technology to keep kids off my lawn.

 

[jon_mx]

Roughly 90 percent of 50-year olds go online on a regualar basis (daily or at least 3-5 times a week).  It more like 95% for younger adults, but I don't see that as being such a large difference to make some kind of ridiculous generalization ("mostly useless")  about.  

 

[parasaurolophus]

Kind of a crazy opinion.  I was useless long before technology came along. 

:reported: "personal attack against jon"

 

[BassNBrew]

In my experience, it doesn't seem to be unique to technology.  Politics, science, general knowledge, you name it.  They don't seem interested at all.  I too know people like bigmarc27 describes above, but they are BY FAR the exception.

Bummer those old people won't learn how to have their face stuck in a phone all day and spend their days trying to convince Don't Noonan that Trump is bad.

 

[ffldrew]

. A lot of them could probably tell you the ins-and-outs of Windows for Workgroups that would have your head spinning.... only you came along when a more recent version of Windows existed so you never needed to know it in the first place

Who in the hell is using Windows? Linux desktops are the rage - Elementary, Mint, Manjaroo - come on people get learning you bunch of young punks.

 

[Foosball God]

Who in the hell is using Windows? Linux desktops are the rage - Elementary, Mint, Manjaroo - come on people get learning you bunch of young punks.

Now you're just making stuff up.

 

[NutterButter]

Kind of a crazy opinion.  I was useless long before technology came along. 

Same here.  I just need to keep fooling them for another 18 years.   

 

[yellowdog]

Today's my 50th birthday.

 

[Osaurus]

Today's my 50th birthday.

Report to Carousel for renewal

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Kind of a crazy opinion.  I was useless long before technology came along. 

Yes, but it wasn't until technology came along that everyone knew it.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

 I can use current technology to keep kids off my lawn.

Finally, a good use for it.

 

[jon_mx]

Yes, but it wasn't until technology came along that everyone knew it.

Everybody is a bit harsh.  There are still 10 percent who don't use the internet.  

 

[Da Guru]

Maybe some of us just enjoy having younger, smarter people do our work for us while we spend more time managing our fantasy football teams.

Plus they work for less $$$$ than those geezers over 50 are used to making.

 

[lod001]

BTW I'm over 50 and I personally take umbrage with your premise.  I'll put my "technical" skills up against any Millennial (including my kids).  But, stay off my ####in' lawn! 

So am I and he's 100% correct but it is across the board. It's all ages. People are unable to keep up with technology and think all they need is a smart phone to move them along in life. They are wrong. I've told HR that everyone now needs to be sent to a testing center before being hired and that they need to pass the basic computer operator test.  I can't take anymore complete idiots who can't use a computer. We have hired some solidly capable people now instead of the morons we have been hiring.

 

[lod001]

And to be fair, a lot of "young ins" don't know jack about anything prior to their existence and don't care to learn either.  

And can't use a computer, thus are useless in just about any capacity except scrubbing our toilets.

 

[ffldrew]

So am I and he's 100% correct but it is across the board. It's all ages. People are unable to keep up with technology and think all they need is a smart phone to move them along in life. They are wrong. I've told HR that everyone now needs to be sent to a testing center before being hired and that they need to pass the basic computer operator test.  I can't take anymore complete idiots who can't use a computer. We have hired some solidly capable people now instead of the morons we have been hiring.

You won't have to worry long - Robotic Process Automation is coming on strong and the days of jobs needing to "use" a computer or "Excel" in business processes and the like that are going to join buggy whip makers.  You will need to develop the AI algorithms to make the RPA work better - you will need be a teacher with AI skills. I suggest learning what BluePrism, Automation Anywhere and UIPath are up to - go to their websites and look at the use case studies.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

I for one welcome our future robotic overlords that will put people of all ages out of work. What a glorious age we live in.

 

[Mister CIA]

Today's my 50th birthday.

Happy Birthday!

 

[Mister CIA]

I can use current technology to keep kids off my lawn.

Finally, a good use for it.

Alexa, release the pitbulls.

 

[Judge Smails]

To play devil's advocate on this, for someone in a white collar job in their 60's or older, why should they have to bother with learning new tech?  People who've reached that stage of their career aren't doing any of the grunt work that newer, younger employees handle, whether tech related or otherwise.  If my work requires me to use a new application of some sort, I want the IT guy and my staff to install it and understand how to use it so I don't have to.  If its something I absolutely have to learn and use, OK, I will put the time in to do so, but that's not my first choice solution.

There is a line where you can appear from the Stone Age. We had an exec VP who insisted running presentations with huge audiences writing on overhead projectors. Also had a SVP of sales have no idea how to run a go to meeting. Was used to his asst doing everything and when he came to our company and didn’t have one his lack of basic tech skills came through. Got to stay current/relevant if you want to stay employed working for somebody else. 

 

[Summer Wheat]

You won't have to worry long - Robotic Process Automation is coming on strong and the days of jobs needing to "use" a computer or "Excel" in business processes and the like that are going to join buggy whip makers.  You will need to develop the AI algorithms to make the RPA work better - you will need be a teacher with AI skills. I suggest learning what BluePrism, Automation Anywhere and UIPath are up to - go to their websites and look at the use case studies.

This....then we can change the title to people over 30.  Computer tasks that previously needed humans to run will be eliminated by RPA. Excel?  There will be no need in 10 years as RPA will take over.  There will be 1-2 people controlling the RPA instead of 1-2 people supervising hundreds of employees.

Manual labor might be the career of the future.

 

[roadkill1292]

I for one welcome our future robotic overlords that will put people of all ages out of work. What a glorious age we live in.

If we manage it right, the workless society could be better for all concerned. Gonna have to ditch some traditional habits and thoughts processes along the way, though.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

If we manage it right, the workless society could be better for all concerned. Gonna have to ditch some traditional habits and thoughts processes along the way, though.

If we managed it right, we would all have our jetpacks by now.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

My introduction to technology.  Part 1

When I went to college in the mid-late 70s, as a part of my business degree (another story for another day), I had to take a full year of Fortran and Cobol programming.  For programmers, it was 101 stuff - but I went in kicking and screaming.  Hated it.  This is still at a time where you had to:

- wait in line to to type the line code onto computer cards

- submit the big stack of cards at the window to be queued up for the "Big Blue" IBM computer to read/process.  It was usually at the end of semester or big project time and when busy it could as long as 4-6 hours to get the results back.  Errors were categorized at the end of the printout, but didn't necessarily point you right to the error.   Typically, you may have to go through several iterations of this process - it was brutal.  

- typically there was a table in the computer area manned by a couple computer nerds that were paid to help you find/correct errors (it was a big area - but you couldn't get close to the computer ...it was in a special, climate-controlled locked room.  A couple of us, that didn't know where to begin to write the program would scout out fellow students from our classes, wait for them to get their printout back and talk to the nerds.  After making their corrections and resubmitting their corrected cards - and finally getting their new printout ...they would pitch their first printout.  

- We pulled the printout out of the trash and typed our cards using that initial printout - and went from there.  

ETA: green/white printout paper with cards

 

[TwinTurbo]

50 can be a terrible baseline. I just used an arbitrary year.  I also agree that people’s brains work differently, but I do see a distinct grouping of people completely unwilling to adapt to new procedures. 

Sure but there are young people that can't read and don't know how to spell without a computer. In fact despite having direct access to the sum of all human knowledge at their literal fingertips, many of them have none of it stored in their actual brain. 

 

[nightmare]

I'm not sure what "tech savvy" means? You can code? Your at, or one level below, someone at an IT help desk?
What blows my mind is any "tech savvy" person taking their car to a garage when their check engine light
comes on. For $50(code reader) and some Youtube searching, you could save some SERIOUS money. 

The exemptions would be if your making $100k+ a year and your free time is more valuable or have a bumper
to bumper warranty.

 

[Phil Elliott]

Are we including work ethic?

 

[Mister CIA]

Sure but there are young people that can't read and don't know how to spell without a computer. In fact despite having direct access to the sum of all human knowledge at their literal fingertips, many of them have none of it stored in their actual brain. 

It was not that long ago I discovered my kids could not read an analog clock.

<== Bad parent

 

[TwinTurbo]

It was not that long ago I discovered my kids could not read an analog clock.

<== Bad parent

Now imagine an analog clock in cursive. 

 

[trader jake]

The line here should be somewhere in the 70's.  Brains just slow down to a noticable rate around 72-73ish.  ??

 

[Ilov80s]

Discuss. 
 

Quick caveat: no I don’t think all older people are useless and I chose age 50 as a random line of separation. 

Anecdotal evidence: Older people I work with have increasingly become unable to keep up with the technological demands of their job. People who were perfectly capable of working in a white collar field at the turn of the millennium, now spend hours trying to figure out how to find use excel or update apps on their phone.  This doesn’t even include the people who come up to me asking about random spam emails and how that person knows their name.  When I tell them the emails aren’t coming from real people, you can actually see their brain melting. 
 

There seems to be pushback in this demographic to adapting and they feel like their tenure should keep afloat. It’s a problem now and will be a huge burden in another decade. 

Yeah I’m 37 and most of the older people think I’m some kind of wizard because I know how to use Google Sheets or how to schedule an email to send later. 

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Now imagine an analog clock in cursive. 

Sounds like something out of an updated Halloween movie. Could trigger some emotional reactions.

 

[Ilov80s]

At 66, I'm old enough to have taken a Fortran course in college.  I'm self-taught with everything else (and, yeah, I did do some Basic programming back on my TRS-80).  Can I code? No, but then again, I can't repair the carburetor on my car, either. Doesn't mean I can't drive as well as someone who can. So, yeah, I can still use current technology to keep kids off my lawn.

The line here should be somewhere in the 70's.  Brains just slow down to a noticable rate around 72-73ish.  ??

I think the individual and their experiences matter a lot. My FIL was always into tech and always had the newest Apple gadgets so despite being close to 70 he’s on top of everything right now. When something new comes out, he can figure it out easily. His wife never kept up with technology so showing her how to send an email is like a 20 minute process every time. I can see it happening with me. I use Twitter and IG but didn’t care for Snapchat. Whatever stuff comes after a couple gens after Snapchat will likely be behind my comprehension.

 

[NutterButter]

I don't think this is necessarily just a technology thing.   I talk to my parents about financial planning (real basic stuff like tax avoidance by using a roth for instance) and its literally like talking to children.   Some people just don't emphasize continual learning and therefore life becomes a lot harder than it needs to be.