How to Overcome Your Technophobia

Here's what you can do if your kids and grandkids expect you to text, see social media posts, take photos on a phone, and attend video gatherings.

Technophobia is politely seen as a senior problem, but the proliferation of new apps and devices means that we’re all learning how to master new technology.

Some of us find it easy; most don’t. If you were born before say, 1990, you probably feel stymied by some piece of technology on occasion.

People experiencing age-related declines tend to notice them first while interacting with a device. Aging eyes have a harder time seeing small print on phones, hearing loss makes it harder to hear fuzzy cellphone connections, memory issues make it easier to lose your phone or forget passwords, and arthritis can make it difficult to type.

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Yet, technology is also a blessing as you age — it can compensate for your limits.

• If you can’t travel, you can see your relatives on Facetime, What’s App, or Zoom.
• If you can’t get to church, you can watch the service online. In fact, you can watch a service occurring in another state or country.
• You can expand a device’s type font to a size comfortable for you to read.
• You can amplify sounds.
• You can use a gadget to help you find your glasses.
• When your memory is slipping, a search engine is your friend.
• You can talk to a phone and get directions.
• Eventually, your car may be driving you.

The proliferation of options and pace of change is overwhelming but, again, will serve you if you stay calm.

Once upon a time, you would call a travel agency and let someone book your trip. Now travel sites give you mountains of data. But if you don’t like one site, you can just move on. Site design gets better all the time, especially in areas with stiff competition. You can set up alerts for the flight you need.

Many online sources can help you; using them will give you practice and confidence. Try Oats,  SeniorSurf, or TechBoomers, all designed for elders curious about technology.

Many communities offer low-cost or free classes for seniors, sometimes matching them with teen-age volunteers. Check out the list of courses at the Senior Planet Exploration Center in New York for ideas; maybe your local library will run the class you need.

Some tips:

• Play with new devices for fun — so you don’t panic when you need them.
• Fulfill a fantasy with a technology you haven’t used before. For example, visit a museum in a foreign country online.
• If your fingers fumble with your mouse or trackpad, play online games for practice.

Don’t worry that you’ll cause damage. Computers, smartphones, and tablets don’t break because you click around. Many people fear losing important data. You can back up all of your work on a computer or smartphone to the “cloud” or onto a private hard drive. A program called “System Restore” will bring your laptop back to the point before a mishap; if you’re using Windows, you already have it.

Take the time to customize your devices so you enjoy them. Think about the font size and background photo on your email.

Ask questions. Go back to the store and talk to different clerks until you find one who is helpful and friendly.

There’s no shame in needing help, especially from children or grandkids you helped raise.

Make Google or your favorite search engine your friend. If you like learning from videos, type “YouTube” plus your question into the search engine; chances are someone has made an instructional video.

To conquer anxiety, make it a point of pride to search for an answer to your question before asking for help. When people help you, watch what they do, so you don’t need to ask twice.

At an impasse? Frozen screen? Turn off the device, wait a few seconds, and start it up again.

Feel overloaded with information? “Divide and conquer.” In other words, sort. Your email inbox may be stuffed; but you can choose a program that provides filters and sorting devices. Do the same for news and other kinds of information. Can’t find an email? Search for it by keyword.

Ignore types of information you don’t find useful. You may like to read customer reviews, or find them misleading. It’s your choice.

Take breaks and practice your favorite calming strategy — put on background music, close your eyes, and take deep breaths. Then go back to the machine that enraged you. Running away feeds anxiety. Returning builds confidence.

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