I’m On The Phone!
Having just spent the last 5 hours trying to get hold of my in-laws for a case of child care emergency I need to vent some frustration and rant about parents and mobile phones.
My in-laws both have mobile phones, however, whenever I try to get hold of them I get the message ‘this mobile phone is switched off’. What is the purpose of the phone? My father in law takes great pleasure in telling me his mobile phone bill is £0.03 each month…..yes because it’s never near or on his person!
Why do the older generation have difficulty with the concept of a mobile phone? And think that a mobile is only to be used in an emergency…..how would they know about the emergency with the phone switched off? Do they switch their home phone off?
My mother has finally grasped the concept and does keep her phone on and with her, however, it took a while for her to work out how to grasp the technicalities of using it……one incident whilst I was driving, my phone was ringing and I asked her to answer it for me – “how do I answer”, “just say yes” was my response – mum then proceeded to shout “yes” very loudly into the phone!
Maybe someone should invent a phone for this tech un-savvy audience that cannot be switched off.
End of rant.
October 14th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
I concur!
Last night i was making a call back across the pond to the states to chat with my parents and grandparents on Skype. Since i have recently bought a webcam on behalf of her request (to see if my room is clean i suppose) i am required top call more frequently.
Last night was an epic battle of parents and grandparents versus technology. After a 20 minute battle of my parents trying to figure out how to make the video appear, it was discovered that they had minimized the screen and did not know this.
You would think with four brains trying to work a computer it would be easier, but in reality it makes things more complicated and wasted 20minutes of me sitting in front of a webcam listening to them argue about how to make it appear.
Now my parents are talking about getting a web cam….i foresee many many problems with this…
October 14th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
I totally understand - my mum has just got the internet at home having never so much as looked at a computer in her life. I wonder at which point i will tire of phone calls asking ‘how to get the email up’ as well as phone calls to ask if i got the email…
October 16th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Your so right - but it’s so sweet to see it.. i’ve now witnessed my mum really enjoy the freedom and enjoyment of what it means to have a mobile phone with her and how people can contact her whilst shes moving - its bloody amazing - to do two things at once, walk and talk! who ever would have thought….???
but I have to say that I try to encourage her to want to use a more updated handset, with bight colours and flashing new lights and she’s like “No” I like my one, I know how to use it… So Where I made sure my mum go in on the mobile lark the first time.. Im gonna have to do the same again, and just make sure she’s got a bright, shiney, new one for Xmas - I just hope now she’s not reading the net and reading this blog x
October 16th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
But hooray for them for embracing the internet/email…..I thought my mum was doing well to have her phone switched on for the majority of the day and then mastering the art of text message - EVEN THOUGH ALL TEXTS ARE SENT IN A VERY SHOUTY MANNER…………………!
October 17th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I’ve had to teach my mum and my grandma how to use their mobile phones about 6 times each. Funnily enough, gran now gets it but mum is definitely going to need lesson 7!
October 21st, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Sadly its all true - I remember a long time ago, my parent’s utter bemusement at ATM machines - why would you put a card into a hole in the wall when you could go inside (if it was betwen 10am and 3pm), queue for 20 minutes, write a cheque etc etc….
Even though mobiles seem an absolute necessity, for some its still an uncomfortable change and I think we all enjoy our comfort zones more as we get older, - after all they are really comfortable.
Having said that my 86 year old granmother in law texts my wife all the time…..there’s always one