do you think we would ever be left out when it comes to technology?

[intj5784]

So I have a few aunts and of course my grandparents that are not tech literate. Growing up with computers, are we safe from not being tech literate? Or will we not be able to understand new devices too?

I may not know the latest when it comes to a specific hobby like the latest in digital photography or the high tech speakers of an audiophile but i do okay.

[enWTFp]

The stream of technological and social advances becomes so fast that the only way to follow its pace is to be a journalist, seller, reporter, or in some other profession that surfs on that flow.

What's the use of all this?

Instead of us using it, it uses us. How do you expect this surfing average person to be able to ever dive very deep inside the ocean of unknown secrets of knowledge? We are fed up to the top. We become choosers and users, not diggers and creators.

I think following the edge of advances had its meaning some decades ago. Now, it's another form of TV, only going live. Look at the guy who proved Fermat's Last Theorem - he still cannot use computers. And why should he? Because everybody would tell him he is ignorant? Phah.

[radames]

How did we use computers when we didn't know what they were? Or cellphones? If instructions are available then everything should be straightforward.

[lisakki]

I think it all depends on your desire to learn. For example, although my grandparents learn computers much much slower than I do, they can, with enough effort, learn the basics easily enough. It's just that in these days, most old people are too set in their ways to learn how to use technology. I believe that if you keep an open mind in your old age, you can keep up reasonably well.

[Elsien]

Depending on what stage of your childhood you were taught computers, I would imagine, would correlate to a large degree in how easily we are able to learn how to use technology, even if we stay far away for some time but we had at one point in time learned how to go about LEARNING how to use it, we will be able to learn how to use anything new, no matter how radical.

[Smotor]

Instead of us using it, it uses us. How do you expect this surfing average person to be able to ever dive very deep inside the ocean of unknown secrets of knowledge? We are fed up to the top. We become choosers and users, not diggers and creators.


Have you ever checked out any of the work Michael Wesch does? He studies the way technology "uses" us, and how we can reverse that information to suit our needs. Pretty interesting.

[metamagnet]

Interesting topic
I foresee computers becoming obsolete in the future...maybe half a century
The latest technology being developed uses amino acids to store information instead of magnetic tape. With the acids, you can store 500TB on a disc the size of a CD. If such technology could be used to replace processors and data buses, as well as storage, we'll truly see the end of traditional computers and these new "bio computers" will definitely be all the rage :)
Considering how much I hate chemistry...that's a technology I definitely see myself falling behind on

[Hjordis]

This question brings a picture to my mind of the recently invented pencil and some old person being unable to figure it out. But yes, I do believe when new technology is invented we'll be behind the times. Though, as lisakki pointed out, it depends on our willingness to learn.

[foobar]

Is the original question "Will we be able to use the new technology?" or "Will we be able to understand how it works?"?

If it's the first, then absolutely. We'll seek to find the functionality of the old technology in what came to replace it, just because we're so dependent on it. Our grandparents didn't adapt very fast because they didn't need to (mail can still be sent the old-fashioned way).

If it's the second, then it depends. If it'll be like metamagnet says and the new technology will be based off something like chemistry, chances are most current computer engineers will be obsolete. However, if the principles of computation relevant to current machines will still hold, from a developer's point of view a lot may stay exactly the same.

[Furore]

I think you'll only be left out if you ignore technology and have little desire to learn it.

The difference between people who have a passion for technology, those who just use technology and those who avoid it are fairly obvious. If you have the interest or desire to learn something new then you're already half way towards staying up-to-date with new things.

[Tishy]

I've let myself become redundant in some areas so I can specialise in others. I stopped learning programming languages with Turbo Pascal, but I'm currently working out what I want to learn with the web 2.0 stuff - do I need to learn the language or just have a basic understanding to get myself around Joomla etc.?

My brother is a CISCO engineer... and I have to say even though I'd like to know everything in the universe, I have chosen NOT to learn that, but get into e-Learning tools and start messing about with SharePoint.

So... I think I'm happy being at least part 'left behind' by technology.