If you struggle with tech, don't blame yourself. The fault more likely lies with the company that designed the product.
Many older adults have trouble navigating modern tech, and they'll give several explanations for this: They didn't grow up with it, and so the concept of menus and hidden functions is not second-nature to them. Or they're scared they'll erase some photos. (Namely – every photo on planet earth.) But many can't handle the frustration that comes from failing at a process – whether that's installing an app, or booking an appointment with a hospital's website.
We see many such users blame themselves, and give up way too soon, because they assume they're not smart enough, or not informed enough, to understand the problematic process. They assume the failure has to be their fault.
That's a shame, because the ugly truth is that many (if not most) processes in the tech world are badly designed. Experienced users know this, and know to put in the extra effort to make up for what the programmers didn't bother to do. But less savvy users – especially older ones – can't conceive that respected companies would be too lazy to provide a reasonable process, or to check their work, and so they can only conclude that they're the ones who are not smart enough to get the results they want.
Even if the process isn't flawed, the directions may be: Clear, consistent messaging is another frequent failing of modern society. That may not be a big deal if you get a new vacuum cleaner, but if the alerts in your computer use language that only a programmer could love, or use double negatives, or if the messaging changes drastically from one function to the next – users may give up.
Working with tech every day, we couldn't move forward without the mindset that a roadblock we encounter is much more likely due to poor workmanship by the designer, rather than some lapse of ours. That's a cynical outlook, but it helps keep us going through the logjams – and it turns out to be correct way more often than not.
So, the next time you're stuck, think to yourself, Could they really have messed this up this badly? Then make a game of it: look around, and see if you can spot some hidden steps (which shouldn't be hidden), or a button that's labeled poorly. Imagine you're doing the crossword puzzle; make a game of it. Don't blame yourself about tech. With this mindset, you'll find you're much more inclined to continue trying, and more likely to achieve your goal. It beats turning off your ship's super-computer, and stranding yourself in space.
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