jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I went to the Senior Citizens meeting yesterday, and a woman wanted to use her computer to show a slideshow I made. Unfortunately, without Wi-Fi, she couldn't connect. I told her to download it and show it the next time. They suggested that I make a Facebook page to display whatever there is to display. I did that last night, and I posted some pictures. Unfortunately, I was not able to post the four-minute slide show (353MB). I tried several times, but it was "loading" for over an hour each time. I'm trying again today. It worked find on YouTube.

What surprised me is that out of the group of twenty-one, only eleven have computers. How can they live like that? Even with a basic Chromebook, they could get and send email, browse the web, and use Facebook and YouTube. I'm not about to start promoting this, but it was a surprise to me to learn that so many are unconnected.

I got started decades ago with the Apple IIe, and I've been hooked ever since.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Some older folks simply have no interest in "connecting".
My dad didn't. I think my wife's mother didn't.

jcave Loc: Cecilia, Kentucky

Every addict, alcoholic and zealot (religious and otherwise) can’t understand why everyone else doesn’t share their passion.

jcave Loc: Cecilia, Kentucky

Every addict, alcoholic and zealot (religious and otherwise) can’t understand why everyone else doesn’t share their passion.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

Maybe they are the ones who are truly connected. They are connected with life, the outdoors, neighbors, personal relationships, hobbies, with all the things that are missed while spending hours on the computer. While I'm not in that group, I do envy their ability to not connect and live life on a simpler and perhaps more rewarding plane. My sister-in-law and her husband have traveled all over the world except for South America and she will not take a camera. She says it distracts from her enjoyment of being there and making memories in her mind. The only photos she takes are with a cell phone when she encounters relatives or friends in foreign places.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Make a vacation a "Photo Trip" can ruin the vacation. I just pop it up and push the button when I see something I like.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I go on vacation, for me.
I take a camera along for stuff I see.
Now, certain things I want to see,
glad I have my camera with me.

jcave Loc: Cecilia, Kentucky

AMEN

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Exactly!

fetzler Loc: North West PA

It is indeed surprising as computers today are appliances and necessary for e-mail, on-line shopping and reading the news, etc. All this easy stuff doesn't require great technical competence. I am no fan of cell phones and use mine rarely but I have a cheap one for travel. (Cell coverage at my house is marginal). It is a mental illness to have one's attention constantly buried in the cell phone screen at the expense of interacting with the real world.

Having said this. My 98 year-old mother-in-law has none of these these technological devices and I think that it is dangerous. We lost her for two days while she was stuck in an airport. My mother-in-law lives independently and plays golf and bridge but is not quite a sharp as she once was. We also lost track of her for a week or so after a hurricane. My wife supervises my mother-in-law's finances and important correspondence must take place via snail mail. Many things could be done faster and more conveniently via e-mail and rarely by FAX. My wife does have on-line access for some things.

Incidentally, If one lives in a remote area or one prone to natural disasters a device like a Garmin in-reach allows one to stay in touch and receive emergency services via satellite communications.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

A good cell signal should be available everywhere. So many people have emergencies, but there is no cell signal to call for help.

fetzler Loc: North West PA

There are many places in the country where there is no service. I was just in a semi ghost town in the MT mountains. No cell service there. There are many more such places in the western US, Northern Michigan and New England (topography is a big problem there). My old house in CT had no cell service but town centers did.

samantha90 Loc: Fort Worth,Texas

Maybe a lot of them don't miss what they have never had.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Simply no interest.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Poor cell service is not only for the rural areas. There are suburban towns without good cell service. Nimby is at work here. I lived in a commuting town near New York City. It had a train line into the city and several major highways. It was connected by road but not by cell. I believe there were 3 cell towers in a town about 25 square miles in size. My home would occasionally get one bar on my phone but with slightly hilly terrain you could not complete a reasonable length call on the road. There was a proposal to build a new cell tower in one corner of the town. It got significant resistance for some reason not clear to me.

About 3 months after I moved into the town there was a snowstorm. It knocked out power to 90% of the town. Our road was blocked with downed trees. There was no internet so my phone didn't work. I had to walk up the local hill to get a marginal signal just to get information. We were out of power and internet for 3 days.

These days electrical service and internet connectivity are essential services. When they are out it is a public safety issue. It is not pleasant being in a position where it takes a 15 minute walk through rough terrain to call 911. And this is in a suburban town near a major city.