Ask Lemmy

Na it'll be the music we don't understand.

And the fashion.

Oh wait and the slang.

There’s plenty of millennials that are completely ignorant about the technology they use, so yes, they definitely will be as bad.

Nah don't think so. I think it's less of a generational thing and more like when a particular technology came about. Like boomers are in my experience generally okay with older more 'analog' tech. Millennials I think are decent all around. Gen z don't know how to use anything outside an app and it's baffles me.

Guess we'll just wait and see.

Probably not as bad, but it is an inevitability I think. Once you get a certain age, major shifts are just more difficult to adjust to. On a smaller scale for example, I don't understand things like Tiktok, Snapchat, etc. I'm a millennial that will be hitting 37 this month, so my adjustment to social media ended with Instagram basically.

It depends what we mean by "bad with technology."

A lot of posts here are talking about how the current young generations (Generation Z and Generation Alpha) are bad with technology as they don't understand anything, and this is true, but to most people being "good with technology" means you're good at using it for desired results, not necessarily understanding how things work or how to troubleshoot.

In my opinion: No. Due to the type of technology that the millennials grew up with, they are generally good at adapting to new and changing technologies, so I suspect they'll be quite good at keeping up. Whether this will hold true for Z and Alpha is to be seen.

Gen X here, not for me but I see a lot of my age group struggling with AI. I keep trying to get them to use it and I'm even buying it for the office and it's interesting to see the reactions.

We’re already bad comprehending AI.

• edit because I‘m disxlecik

I think it's gonna get worse. Change is a part of every generation but it feels like the rate at which things change is increasing significantly.

Yes.

Of course, there will be a range in all generations from those who ignore technology altogether and who will inevitably be bad at it, to those who keep on top of every change and continue to be skilled users of that technology.

I don't see why there would be a difference from one generation to the next. The proportions might be different: boomers and GenX who saw this stuff come in later in life and who know there is more to life than technology might be more inclined to spend their time away from that tech than later generations that grew up with this stuff. Or maybe the later generations will want to get away from it and rediscover nature.

I suspect that if and when retirement happens I'll (GenX) be spending a lot of time away from computers.

iPhone to scan a QR code.

Knowing that this feat was not existent 5years ago ( < iOS11) and is not implemented the same on , is it a fail ?

No

Not likely. You have to remember that Boomers grew up with zero computing in their lives, thus they never did get a general education on computing.

That general education instils the foundational knowledge and habits, and is extended by new technologies, not replaced by them.

This is something I worry about as well (mid-thirties millennial), but I'm really hoping it won't be a problem. Anecdotally, I don't notice any appreciable difference between myself and my dad (technically a boomer) when it comes to technology, but my mom isn't as comfortable. I think it's because my dad spends more time using various types of current tech and is willing to troubleshoot on his own, so maybe it's just a matter of continued exposure and a willingness to learn.

At the same time I see my grandparents really struggle with digital interfaces because they didn't grow up with them and don't find them intuitive, in a way that can't be explained by lack of curiosity. It's almost like they're not fluent in the language because they missed a critical period of learning in childhood? If a brand new, extremely different way to interface with the world takes over, I guess I could see myself and my peers struggling as well.

I’m rounding mid 40’s. I use linux all the time and I am becoming increasingly bad at troubleshooting or fixing windows issues. I don’t really have that problem with my current OS and I’ve never used Win 11 once.

Yes. I think the big jump will be with biotech. Some people will have trouble with organic interfaces and organic machines.

Meanwhile I love watching kids who have used touchscreens their whole lives trying to navigate a mouse.

No. Was born in the 90s and I'm doing fine

I think the opposite actually. We had to live through rapid changes in the way we used and interacted with technology in our early years. I think we may be slower to adopt certain things than the younger generations because of "fuck change", but on a whole I think we will be more technically competent with newer technologies as they emerge.

Careful about generalizations. I've been using computer technology since 1975.... #COBOL 👨‍🦳

Gen Z is already worse with the tech that they grew up with because it is so simple and "just works" without them having to learn even simple things like file structures or how to type. So, I guess, no, you're looking at the wrong generation. Millennials grew up having to learn new tech as it developed, so adaptation is a skill among our generation.