Reactions to tech (ie: email, smart phone, ChatGPT, etc) depending on age

[JEDI]

“I've come up with a set of rules that describe our reactions to technologies:

1. Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works.
2. Anything that's invented between when you’re fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it.
3. Anything invented after you're thirty-five is against the natural order of things.”

- Douglas Adams, author of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy


I envy those born this decade.
They will take the successors to ChatGPT for granted, just like those born 20 yrs ago take cell phones for granted

 

[Kaido]

They will take the successors to ChatGPT for granted, just like those born 20 yrs ago take cell phones for granted

My nephews are already like this. Go camping & the first two responses are:

1. Where's the wi-fi? (no signal!)
2. How do I charge up my tablet? (no power!)

Kids these days have never been without wi-fi or cellular Internet. Any question they have is instantly answerable via smart assistants & search engines. It's a whole different world to grow up...I remember just being bored a lot as a kid & just accepting that I'd never know the answer to some things lol.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Growing up in the 90's it's interesting when I consider the evolution of tech since then. Things like CRT TVs, VCRs etc were the norm then, and I got to see them replaced with LCDs for screens and VCRs replaced with DVD players, Blurays, and eventually just streaming. Got to see the internet become available in houses, from dialup, adsl to higher speed connections like fibre. It's neat to think of the evolution.

Things like AI etc are where to me it feels unnatural, but it's still interesting to see it nonetheless. The one thing I'm not a fan of as far as tech progress goes is the high reliance on cloud and proprietary stuff. Specifically, apps. So many things are designed around phones now, and I'm really not a fan of that as it just feels so closed and you don't have control. I can load up an old PC with windows 98 and use software I did 20 years ago if I really wanted to, but you won't be able to do that with apps due to the reliance of app stores and often cloud. But I imagine for those growing up now, it's 100% normal, and probably equivalent to having to install software on a PC to use a scanner or something.

 

[Meghan54]

Well, I’ve almost kept up. Grew up in 50’s-60’s. Built two computers last year, use cell phone (but nowhere near as well as my 27 y o pigmented friend, who still shows me how to do crap on it).

But as I hit 70, the impulse to keep up is dwindling. Still read but don’t care like I used to.

But I don’t Tik Tok, Reddit is a mess to me, don’t use most of the popular apps. No use to me.

 

[Captante]

I've more or less stayed fully "aware" of the latest tech but I'm no longer in a big hurry to adopt the "latest thing".

"Tech" only impresses me when it works reliably AND serves a useful purpose beyond making the creator wealthy!

And anyone "impressed" by the "mad tech-skills" of gen Z, watch MOST of them try to work a printer or scanner for a major reality-check.




(they're "expert" @ posting nudes on Instagram and finding the latest Tik-Tok trends.... not much else!)

 

[DigDog]

i spent a considerable amount of time yesterday with ChatGPT and .. well, wasn't terribly impressed.

 

[Meghan54]

I've more or less stayed fully "aware" of the latest tech but I'm no longer in a big hurry to adopt the "latest thing".

"Tech" only impresses me when it works reliably AND serves a useful purpose beyond making the creator wealthy!

And anyone "impressed" by the "mad tech-skills" of gen Z, watch MOST of them try to work a printer or scanner.

Have them try a dial phone.

 

[Captante]

i spent a considerable amount of time yesterday with ChatGPT and .. well, wasn't terribly impressed.

We've already spent substantial time with those $hitty "artificial UN-intelligence" apps here courtesy of the "God-bot" and "Kenny Reid" plus a few others. (IMO they don't even quality as "VI" nevermind actual "AI")

Not only are these apps 100% NOT "self-aware", they are in no way "intelligent" except in the sense that they are fantastic at telling people exactly what they want to hear by rewording and repeating stuff back.

 

[IronWing]

Looking back on it, I’m surprised we could find anything. I have to give librarians lots of credit for making card catalogs useful.

 

[nakedfrog]

My nephews are already like this. Go camping & the first two responses are:

1. Where's the wi-fi? (no signal!)
2. How do I charge up my tablet? (no power!)

Kids these days have never been without wi-fi or cellular Internet. Any question they have is instantly answerable via smart assistants & search engines. It's a whole different world to grow up...I remember just being bored a lot as a kid & just accepting that I'd never know the answer to some things lol.

We did have libraries as kids, you know

 

[Captante]

Looking back on it, I’m surprised we could find anything. I have to give librarians lots of credit for making card catalogs useful.

I wonder how many kids have any clue what the "Dewey Decimal system" is?

Dewey Decimal Classification (Wiki)

 

[Meghan54]

I wonder how many kids have any clue what the "Dewey Decimal system" is?

Dewey Decimal Classification (Wiki)

0
Zip
Nada
Nought

 

[nakedfrog]

Well, he did finish high school a couple years ago, but my son was taught about the Dewey Decimal system at school. Can't speak to whether the current crop of school kids are learning about it, but I suspect the number remains greater than zero.

 

[Kaido]

We did have libraries as kids, you know

I specifically remember I'd have questions, talk to my parents, teachers, visit the library, and if I couldn't find the answer, be like, oh well...lol

 

[JEDI]

I specifically remember I'd have questions, talk to my parents, teachers, visit the library, and if I couldn't find the answer, be like, oh well...lol

the most important thing is that you now have a calculator on your hip.

i cant even do addition anymore in my head.
$1.35 + 4.85

 

[IronWing]

I spent nine years in college (slow learner joke here) and I never could make heads or tails of the Library of Congress system.

"Don't overthink it, just follow the numbers."
"Why can't we use Dewey Decimal?"
"Because every single book in the Geology Library would be under 551*, <silent>you moron</silent>.







* 548 - 569 actually

 

[thraashman]

Things like CRT TVs, VCRs etc were the norm then

A few weeks ago I referred to non CRT TVs as "flatscreen TVs" and a friend said to me "dude, they've been the norm for like 15 plus years, they're just TVs now". And that's when I realized I am an old man in my 40's and I'm beyond hope.

 

[IronWing]

A few weeks ago I referred to non CRT TVs as "flatscreen TVs" and a friend said to me "dude, they've been the norm for like 15 plus years, they're just TVs now". And that's when I realized I am an old man in my 40's and I'm beyond hope.

Console or portable?

 

[Captante]

A few weeks ago I referred to non CRT TVs as "flatscreen TVs" and a friend said to me "dude, they've been the norm for like 15 plus years, they're just TVs now". And that's when I realized I am an old man in my 40's and I'm beyond hope.

First of all I'm nearly 60 so cry me a freaking river!

Second:

"Flat-SCREEN" TV's became a thing back IN CRT days. (although the actual tubes were never truly "flat")

"Flat-PANEL" TV's became a thing about 15 years or so ago and don't rate mentioning.

 

[IronWing]

Signed up for Sprint or MCI long distance but didn't have touch tone? Easy peazy…

 

[DigDog]

..except in the sense that they are fantastic at telling people exactly what they want to hear by rewording and repeating stuff back.

not even that. I mean, i was expecting THAT, and didnt even get that. Basically a glorified Google search.

 

[Captante]

Signed up for Sprint or MCI long distance but didn't have touch tone? Easy peazy…

View attachment 77430

I had that exact Radio Shack device except mine was dark grey and a little smaller!

*(allegedly worked great for free pay-phone use!)

 

[IronWing]

More ancient tech…

 

[nakedfrog]

And yet, CVV/CSC codes on credit cards have been pretty standard for like 15-20 years, yet we still have payment forms with a little ? next to the box for them to explain what it is.

 

[Captante]

More ancient tech…

View attachment 77431

Got me with this one lol .... they LOOK like someone ripped the "dial" part out of a bunch of those old-school DYMO label-makers!