Technophobe No More

by Hazel A.B. Javier

Ever heard of the word technophobe?  Simply put, this word describes a person who is afraid of technology or anything related to it.  Technophobes are hesitant to learn because of various reasons such as these stated below:

1. “I’m too old to learn.”

What are the things seniors need to know to stay connected?  Here are a few:

a. Internet connections can either be wired or wireless.  Wired connections are usually through your local telecommunications provider, and can be bundled with your landline.  Wireless connections can normally be through either your mobile network (meaning, you can access the internet through your cellphone) or through an open/password-protected wifi (can be accessed through wifi spots).

b. www means world-wide-web. http means hypertext transfer protocol.  Think of the net as that of an interconnection of computer systems “talking” to each other through digital information.  We normally type these 3 or 4 letters at the start of each webpage we are trying to access.

c. Web browsers are computer programs used for accessing sites or information on a network (as the World Wide Web), as defined by Merriam Webster.  More common examples of these are Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Google Chrome.  Any of these can be used to open webpages.

For a helpful list, you can read this short (but still in-exhaustive) and informative blog on “techie terms” (http://www.bytestart.co.uk/guide-to-scary-computer-terms-for-technophobes.html )

2. “It’s too complicated.”

Our mindset determines whether or not we will achieve the goals we’ve set.  It’s the same thing with technology. True, dealing with the internet and the gazillions of information pieces we have online can be overwhelming.  But our responsibility is to choose the best and most relevant piece of information.  

3. “It’s just not for me… I’m okay with television (or radio).”

Unfortunately, today, learning new technology is no longer an option.  The whole world converses using it.  It’s not just about “keeping up” or trying to be “in” anymore.