What have computers ever done for us?
05/07/2010
A lively correspondence has broken out on the pages of Mature Times with many readers bemoaning the intrusion of computers into our lives.
The spectre of lonely people staring blankly at computer screens, missing out on human contact, has been invoked, as well as countless jobs lost and the dehumanisation of any processes. One reader provides an eloquent response – and we’d like to know where YOU stand on the great debate: what have computers ever done for us?
I was rather saddened, although not surprised, by the letter by Eileen Earnshaw (June issue) decrying computers. As an active campaigner for pensioners over the last 20 years or so, and a committed supporter of the use of the use of computers by that section of society, hers is an attitude I come up against with monotonous regularity.
It is a great shame that this mind set exists at all amongst those who could gain most from the use of the Internet, but I have met many older people who are anti-computer with a vehemence approaching paranoia and it is hard to say why this is. One only has to look at the advantages to be gained by having access to the Internet, particularly if one is housebound or not able to get around as easily as in the past. Contact with friends and relatives can be maintained, photographs exchanged, shopping accomplished, advice sought on a variety of social and health topics, and there are very few hobbies or interests that cannot be enhanced by the use of this medium.
Admittedly there is nothing like human contact, and I am not suggesting that this can be replaced by the computer, but this can be supplemented, especially for the handicapped, by the new technology in what has become the greatest revolution in communications since the invention of the telephone. At the touch of a button we can contact relatives on the other side of the world and at minimal cost, bearing in mind the escalating price of postage and telephone calls. Also if one is engaged, as many retired people are, in any sort of writing or research the computer is streets ahead of any of the available alternatives when it comes down to the task of information gathering.
There is also a deeper problem, and that is one of the increasing cultural isolation of the elderly. As technology expands, the gap between the elderly and the younger generations also widens. Unfortunately this is not only the fault of an uncaring society and the lack of adequate financial support, although these are major contributors. It can also be laid at the door of many of the older people being unwilling, rather than unable, to assimilate into modern society.
To hanker for a past that has long disappeared is not a modern phenomenon, and I suggest that it has been around since the beginning of human civilisation, but however much we yearn for Housman’s “land of lost content” it is by and large a pretty useless exercise. It is for this reason that I find the Luddite philosophy of the anti-computer brigade so depressing.
To return to Eileen Earnshaw’s letter, we have listened for years to the dire warnings of ancient academics and librarians threatening the early demise of the printed book; but this clearly has not happened. My own local library has still as many books as ever and, whilst the Internet may eventually supplant the reference book, I find it hard to see how it can replace the book in the eyes of those who love literature for its own sake, or indeed the collection of books themselves as objets d’art. As for the automatic drop-off and take-out facilities now found in most public libraries, I regard these as a great advantage over long waits in the queue whilst the person at the head of it argues with the library assistant about whether they should be fined for an overdue book. Yes, some librarians will lose their jobs, but this will not halt the march of the computer any more than the loss of work for stage-coach drivers halted the introduction of the steam locomotive.
The situation could be much improved by a serious government move to simplify the information available to the over-60s concerning the use of computers and to provide financial assistance to enable them to acquire both hardware and software.
Chris Thompson, Braintree
Your views on computers – particularly as they relate to the older population? Email editorial@maturetimes.co.uk
The letter that sparked the debate...
I was surprised to learn of Val Singleton sponsoring computers seemingly unaware of their disastrous effect on literacy and libraries with books in schools replaced by 'learning resource centres' and the introduction and the of self-service machines in the public library leading (in my borough) to the loss of up to fifty professional posts.
The 'never mind the quality feel the speed' internet cannot be trusted compared with a standard codex reference book which has been carefully edited. The lemming -like drive to get us all 'on-line’ is leading to an Orwellian 'Big Brother’ future of no choice so no democracy excluding oldies with diminishing sight/ arthritic fingers. There is a saying Don’t put all your eggs in one basket - what happens if the basket gets dropped?
Eileen Earnshaw, London
And more correspondence for and against...
Has the world been improved by computers? Absolutely not! I hate computers and feel they have been a disaster in their effect on so many of the things we used to enjoy.
The main one is human contact. All you get now is a silent person staring at a screen and tapping buttons in silence. There was this large space scattered with bookshelves and against the wall a row of silent machines in front of which were groups of bewildered people struggling to understand them. Gone are the pleasant ladies at the counter to check your books, listen to requests and answer questions. Some of us need that – especially pensioners.
Mrs RK Flynn, St Ives, Cambs
My gripe is that most companies assume us ‘oldies’ all have computers. The fact that we don’t means missing out on some great deals, booked exclusively on the web.
I argued recently with a large hotel chain who were advertising exactly the same holiday at £50 per person cheaper than that offered by telephoning an 0870 number. I retaliated by stating this was discriminating against those unable to use computers. After a few minutes of piped music, the operator came back and offered us a better deal.
Colin Packman, Tonbridge
It annoys me to see all the generous discounts being given to younger citizens using the web to get the goods and service they want. One cannot refrain from thinking that the elderly are subsidizing others by having to pay the full price. It adds insult to injury that on 6 June I would have been £20 better off from a lottery competition run by the Mail on Sunday – but sadly it was restricted to on-line entry only!
Alan Williams, Caerphilly
On the Letter page you ask the question "Is the world a better place for the invention of the computer?"
I would like to answer a resounding ‘Yes!’ We are well in our 80s and find our computer a tremendous help in keeping in touch with our family and friends. It is quicker, cheaper and more efficient than the mail or phone. We keep in touch with our son and daughter-in-law in Australia through our computer. We can spend an hour chatting to them, we can see them and they us, if we have a problem on the computer our son can correct it for us. This is done by 'screen sharing' and it is completed within minutes.
There are many advantages in having a computer. We manage our financial arrangements, paying bills and finding information so easily. We would miss it very much.
Ron and Lesley Browne, Coventry
The negative reaction experienced from many over 60 is not surprising. None of the manufacturers, as far as I am aware, nor the authors of a plethora of books, nor any 'advice' columns in papers, magazines and particularly evening courses ever start by explaining all the positive things that you can do with a computer at the absolute basic level. We are all expected to 'know' what a computer does, without being told using the simplest of explanations and terminology. And setting up broadband can be a nightmare because ISPs are no better. There are some good computer magazines but even they are never aimed at the absolute newbie. So there are many negative stories from those who have 'failed' as well as those who think it is not for them. Fortunately there are also many, including some in their 90s, who have not only succeeded but managed brilliantly after setting up VOIP and using the video facilities to enjoy seeing and talking to relatives around the world. But, as with life in general, it is about horses for courses. In another twenty years we won't be hearing about not using computers. The benefits far, far outway any moans. There is insufficient space for me to go into all the things that computers and computing have 'done for us'. But one interesting and important factor has emerged that scotches some of the negativity - libraries are finding that they are more in demand now after what had become a slow decline. And email is the simplest, easiest and least expensive (£0.00000000001) method of communication yet provided. Never mind the time of day or night, here or anywhere around the world, you know that John will get your email when he is there to read it just as you will read his reply when you are ready. No delay, no waiting, no line engaged, no doubtful answerphone, no wasted time just the certainty that communication is assured. As for education, specific or in the broadest sense, then there is nowhere else that you can find out so much information so easily. A boon. And whilst Microsoft and a host of others have ensured that we will always remember the irritations and annoyances, even those cannot reduce the sheer convenience and control that computing at the personal level has brought to us.
Peter Bray
I'm 74, and an ardent fan of all the 'bits 'n' pieces that can be made available to each of us. Speaking to a colleague age 78 with enough money to buy the best computer going, he often says 'I wish I could do it'.....
And the number of times he is on the verge ( according to him ) of buying one.
But he won't of cause, and why? Well, and this could apply to many of us grey hairs.
It's new (to them). It takes a bit of learning, and as one gets older the info doesn't sink in as quickly as it did. Also, as in the case of my ol' buddy, the real truth is that he just can't be bothered. Unless one can motivate one's self and get 'yer arse off the chair', all most want to do Today/Tomorrow, is to do the same thing as they did yesterday... 'Don't want no hassle'... 'Can't be bothered with it all ...
I would say to any retirees: Just do it! It ain't gonna' blow up! Don't be to proud to accept advice, or feel ashamed that maybe 'I should know this'... computers weren't about when we were little lads... Learn by your mistakes, give yourself another interest in life...
Ken Day, Stopsley, Beds
Are computers a curse or a blessing? I maintain they are neither: a computer is simply a device that can be put to a good or a bad use depending on the user. Compare it with a telephone. You can use your phone to ring 999 to summon help in an emergency, you can use it for harmless – if sometimes pointless – chat to friends or you can use it to make threatening or obscene phone calls.
In the same way, computers can be used for working from home to avoid the stress and cost of commuting and they can help the housebound keep in touch with family and friends. Then there are uses that are essentially harmless but may be time-wasting: such as playing computer games or putting trivial messages on Twitter. Finally there are the bad uses to which a computer may be put: sending span emails or downloading child pornography.
We shouldn’t forget a computer is only a tool. You, the user decide whether it is a curse or a blessing.
Incidentally were it not for my personal computer and the ease of sending emails, you wouldn’t be receiving this letter!
Mary Hodges, Preston
Any technological innovation is always subject to this kind of cricitism - eg If God had meant us to fly He wouldn't have given us the railways. There is also a book called The Golden Age by a social historian - who goes back to the 1600s to show that the golden past is a recurrent theme - usually this golden age is about 30 years prior to the age from which the comparison is made.
Computers are like any other tool - they have benefits & drawbacks, depending on the use an individual makes of them. The ability to keep in contact with far flung relatives & friends; the ability to access quantities of information so easily; & the ability to revise one's ideas without having to start from scratch seem to me to outweight the perceived disadvantages.
Personal contact is up to the individual - you don't just have to spend all your time in front of a screen. But imagine how less lonely the housebound can be with internet access.
Jenny Millns
There are clear positives and negatives regarding the impact of computers on society.
The big negative is that electronic media reduce the number of face-to-face contacts that people experience. However, this is not a new issue. It is part of a process that started around 50 years ago as access to a telephone started to become more common. Now around 80% of households have a telephone. The result is that almost all household transactions can be conducted without any face-to-face contact. Both consumers and providers have benefited from the ability to do things faster and at lower cost ov er the telephone. I don't hear too many people complaining about this - possibly because those with most cause to complain are in that 20% of household without a telephone.
Having disposed of the myth that the Internet is the cause of the reduction in face-to-face contacts let me turn to the positives.
Using the Internet instead of the telephone is the logical next step. It has great advantages: an email costs next to nothing; there are no queues; you can send an email any time, any day; you can use a search engine to find the answer you need; disability is not a barrier to communication. That last point is particularly important. Many older people have some sensory impairment. This can be a major issue if they are using the telephone to speak to a call centre but it should not be a consideration when conducting the same business by email or through a website. That 'should' is there because there can be issues with the way PCs and browsers/email clients in particular are set up. Where the user has sensory impairments they may well need to use alternative software and utilities that the average techie knows nothing about.
This brings me to the manifesto of the "Race to 2012" organisation. In my opinion it is a dreadful document but one that comes to mainly correct conclusions despite abusing statistical evidence in its arguments. There is a digital divide to be overcome and I agree with its authors that for older people the issues are ignorance of what is on offer and the technology used to access the Internet.
However,I would agrue with them over the economic factor, using the manifesto's statistics Internet access costs at least £192 a year including the VAT that they forget about. This is not a minor cost and excludes the cost of a computer and telephone connection. It is not valid to assume that an older person will use a cheap mobile phone for their Internet access. Older people do not like using mobiles because they are too small to manipulate and the displays are often too small for them to read.
So what can be done to assist older people to access the Internet? Mature Times is reporting one important initiative to put connections and computers into sheltered housing units then provide computer literacy classes to the residents. However, this is not the full answer. I have personally seen one such initative fail mainly because the tuition was insufficient and not relevant to resident's needs. This failure was then compounded by children gaining access to the equipment, changing the settings and fatally damaging the hardware!
However, day centres can provide Internet cafe facilities with an Internet Champion on hand to teach and assist their clients. The overhead on the day centre's operation can be low as most will already have Internet access. The capital cost of providing a couple of wifi equipped laptops and and a wifi router can be under £1,000 at retail prices. If the centres avoid the Windows route then the software is free and can easilly be set up to provide individually tailored accounts to meet the needs of large numbers of users who will be unable to accidentally damage the configuration of the system.
This is radical thinking but by exploiting available resources, using the appropriate technology and adding a little expertise much can be achieved at very low cost. Returning to my earlier example of the telephone, it took off once automatic exchanges and subscriber trunk dialing reduced the cost of ownership but people still had to be trained to use the telephone. Cheap hardware, low cost shared Internet connections and high quality freeware provide the basis for bridging the digital divide. However, nothing will happen until this radical alternative is recognised and championed by the right people, with the right skills in the right places.
Robert Harvey
My daughter suggested I got a computer when she went to work in Chile. She said if she received my letters at all they would probably take a month to arrive, so I bought a laptop for that purpose.
I used to type so am familiar with the keyboard. Computers are absolutely fantastic the things they can do, and it is quite easy to let time take over, looking up one thing after another. Changing text around is amazing, b - u - t
Quite a lot of the time I am quite frustrated and angry as when I turn on the screen either freezes or it reads 'prog. not responding'. I can spend hours, literally, getting nowhere at all! I have had no end of problems from the beginning. It is a wonder I am not now out of my mind! Then the printer refused to print. It says ready, but only increases the number of the (same) copies, sometimes makes a click, but nothing happens. When I wrote to the providers they wanted £78 to tell me what to do - with no guarantee that it would work.
Although I wouldn't want to be without my laptop, I don't know where I find the patience to carry on!
How do other people get on I wonder?
Pat Hursey
There is little doubt that computers have a very significant influence on
our lives. Personally I find that most of the influence is positive. O.K., I
admit that lots of aspects of computer use can be intrusive, but, if you
learn how to use a computer with reasonable competence, this intrusiveness
can be greatly reduced.
Unfortunately, most home computer users, in my experience, do not learn how
to control their computer - and, in these cases, be sure that the computer
will begin to manage you - and confuse you - and waste your time - and
create more of the negative aspects of the use of the machine.
The problem is similar to the way many people control, or fail to control,
the most powerful computer they posses, namely their own mind. Relatively
few people realise how much control they can exercise over what they allow
into their minds, to influence their minds. This can be put down to
ignorance or sheer laziness - or, maybe to our education system, which, in
my opinion, fails to teach young, impressionable humans how to take control
of their minds and, by learning to use them to maximum effect, greatly
improve the quality of their lives. It may be that "the establishment"
recognises that educating "the masses" in this way would make them very
difficult to govern - that's another debate.
Back to computers; if computer users decide what they want from their
computers, then learn to manage the machine so they get the nearest to
achieving their wants, then they will have less to complain about. Used
intelligently, the positive aspects of computer use well outweigh the
disadvantages. Learn how to exploit these positive parts (in terms of your
individual wants) and you'll end up getting the best out of your tool / toy.
A K Breed
Apart from all those very sound reasons you mentioned for being computer literate, there is a very practical one too - the cost of a first class stamp. If I mailed as many letters as I send emails to my three sons I would be poverty-stricken! I wish there was a way we could send parcels by computer at no cost too!
Sonia Ayers