The Digital Divide

The four-year-old next door already knows how to get on the Internet and find his favorite games. Grandma, on the other hand, still doesn’t know how to double-click.

Why?

When adult immigrants enter the U.S., a number of them learn some basic English — barely enough to get by — and then stop learning. Their English skills fossilize. Even after living here for over 30 years, they still speak like a two-year-old (if that).

The same thing happens with the older generation and computers, I think. They might know how to type (since typewriters have been around for a while), but for the most part they have no clue. Not everyone, of course, but too great a number. Does it need to be this way? I don’t think so.

It seems like most of the technophobes out there claim that using computers is too hard. But is it? We’re not talking about coding device drivers in assembly or even understanding how binary works. Basic computer literacy, that’s all. Is it too much to ask for people to understand the concept of folders? Windows? Dragging and dropping?

Besides, these aren’t people of limited intelligence. If a person can drive a car, they can use a computer. (And computers don’t kill you if you mess up. Three points for computers.) So why do people plateau?

I’ve thought about it and this is what I’ve come up with: fear of the new. The accelerated rate of improvement in technology has far exceeded anything the older generation grew up with, and I think that, for them, too much is changing too fast. We of the younger generation, however, were born as the rate began to pick up, and we’ve gotten used to it. It’s hard for us to imagine a world where things don’t change so fast — it’d be like transforming ourselves from a race car into a snail. Unthinkable.

Is there anything innate in this whirlwind of change that excludes the older generation, though? Assuming that someone is healthy enough to drive a car — acceptable motor control, average intelligence, adaptability in face of constantly changing road conditions, etc. — I can’t think of any reason why they shouldn’t be able to use a computer.

Which takes us back to this fear. If it isn’t fear, it’s apathy or laziness, but it’s not nice to claim that all technophobes are apathetic or lazy, so we’ll stick with fear. They’re paralyzed by it. It’s like writer’s block but with computers. Granted, we could just wait for all the old generation to pass on, but I don’t think that’ll necessarily solve the problem, since even some of the younger generation have it — “I’m not very good with computers,” I heard a guy my age say in class not two weeks ago, fumbling with the computer as he prepared to give a presentation.

I do think there’s more to life than computers, of course, but computer literacy needs to be a given here in the 21st century. Computers are everywhere. Not everyone needs to be a programmer, but everyone ought to know the basics. And with a solid foundation, they should be able to figure out things they don’t know when they need to know them. Adaptability is the name of the game.

True, there are plenty of user interfaces which are too complicated or unintelligible or just plain user-unfriendly. I’m not excusing them. Interfaces do need to be well-designed. But I think too many people are just giving up on computers, assuming they’ll never figure it out, even on the basic things. This is a tragedy. Windows and OS X are both simple enough for anyone to understand the basics. If someone can understand that you put manila file folders in a filing cabinet and you put stuff in the file folders, they can understand computer files and folders. It’s not that difficult.

So, what can we do to help change this? There are tons of “For Dummies” books out there, but basic computer literacy could be taught in a couple of pages. There’s really not much to it. Perhaps something akin to a comic book (I’ve been reading Scott McCloud’s excellent book Understanding Comics, but I’ll save that for another post). Lots of pictures. Step-by-step. Simple. If I have extra time before the break ends, I may put together a little pamphlet. We’ll see.

Anyway, I’m interested in y’all’s thoughts on this. Is it priggish to assume that old people should learn how to use computers? Are there other reasons that keep people trapped in technophobia? Other solutions?

I have come to add a factor you didn’t list: a lot of older people don’t see the need for computers in their lives. My grandmother is totally computer illiterate as in “can’t check her email or use Word” illiterate. She does use a cell phone and she’s a pretty active business person. (She and my aunt have a bridal store in Bountiful.) Lots of people in the family have offered to teach her the ropes, and she seems amiable to the idea.

However, I think the main factor that’s keeping her from it is that she doesn’t really see a need for it in her life. Email, you say? She already has a cell phone and more people over at her house everyday to talk to than she can handle. Photo sharing? The relatives bring over their scrapbooks or send her pics in the mail, and she can see everything else. News? That’s what she takes the paper for. Specialized information? I think libraries are still in existence, with real, actual people to help you. No need for word processing or spreadsheets or blogging or games. There’s simply no viable reason to learn how.

We young people are convinced that the elderly are missing out on something tremendously important, and maybe they are. But we forget that people got along fine before computers. Most of the things we do via computer can still be done by hand or by phone. What, in the end, are they really missing out on?

Really, the only true reason for the “older” people to learn computers is in order to land a job. Similarly to the immigrants-learning-English analogy, they will only learn what they need and nothing more. They don’t need computers to have fun or be personally productive. They already know a rich, fulfilling way of life without it.

More and more I envy these people. I spend a lot of time on my computer, and I’m sure only 10-20% of it is productive. A lot of what I do on here is not very concrete. Wouldn’t I rather be out in their world, producing tangible things? Cooking and sewing and crafting and making–this is one point where Karl Marx and I can agree. Isn’t it more satisfying to be Man the Maker than Man the Thinker? Data pushing just doesn’t cut it.

You didn’t take into account the lingo of computers. “Dragging” and “Dropping” may make sense, but words like “interface” scare many people, especially older people, away. Phrases such as “sync with” and even simpler stuff like “save as” are frightening. Perhaps in your pamphlet you can include a glossary of sorts.

Liz: They’re missing out on eyestrain and carpal tunnel syndrome! No, really, you’ve got a good point. I suppose we need to divide “older” people into two groups here: the elderly, who you’ve mentioned here, and the younger “older” people. :) (And I should have been more specific about what I meant by older.) You’re right — many of the elderly don’t really need (or want) computers in their lives. And in retrospect, I’m kind of on their side. :) (Well, perhaps not really, but it would certainly be nice to get away from the computer more.)

As for Man the Maker v. Man the Thinker, computers can be a great aid to creation. Most of what I do creatively is on the computer (but I’ll add here that I’m branching out to more tangible media), and even then I can often get real-world copies of my creations — Lulu books, photographic prints, CDs of music, even 3D metal sculptures if I ever get around to it. But yes, there’s something wonderfully satisfying about working with your hands.

Attempting to summarize, I guess I’ll have to revise my argument to pertain to those who are using computers, but at a painfully basic level. For those who don’t care to use computers at all, well, more power to them.

Chris: Ah, yes, I’d forgotten about that. Being a programmer, these computer terms have become so much a part of me that I assume people automatically understand them. But they don’t. A glossary of sorts would be good, since people who want to use computers do need to learn the jargon; without it, they can’t understand the tutorials and other materials out there that will help them progress.

I’ve started sketching out the pamphlet, and it’s definitely doable. Here’s a comic-style doodle from BenjaminCrowder.com that I put together this morning:

Ignoring the story, I think the style could work quite well for something like this. We’ll see. :)