Closing the technology gap

As a writer and / or  artist, you sometimes find you need some major printing done, processing of photos, binding of journals and such things.  These are relatively inexpensive to do now and I have found staff at Office Works  to be very helpful.

So I’m in there the other day with a couple of printing requests. I’m also waiting for the right moment to ask if someone might be able to help me to set up my Fit Bit Flex. Well, I should say, help me to  re-set it, as I had one last year which had stopped working and they had kindly replaced it.

So being the new year and time to set the new year resolutions in place, as in eating healthier and exercising more … you know the drill  … and the time has come.

For those who are not familiar with Fit Bit Flex, it’s a digital device you wear on your wrist and it keeps tabs on your health and fitness, including how much exercise you are doing each day, calorie intake and even how much and how well you are sleeping. It’s wirelessly linked to your computer or phone (but of course) so that the information is only yet again a click away.

While I had set it up last year with some assistance, I now wasn’t sure what to do as I still had the app on my phone. Would I have to delete that and start again?   The thing is unless you have a Fitbit Flex or you are a young computer wizard, you probably would not be familiar with the setting up process.

 So I finally muster the courage to ask for help. The general staff on duty don’t know (they don’t use one) but there is a young staff member named Elliot, who they know is the one to call on.

Well I can tell you, nothing about this technological wiz bang thing is any mystery to Elliot.

‘Come over to one of our computers and I’ll show you,’ he enthuses.

I am now very excited that someone is actually going to take the time to physically show me how to do this. I expected, at best, someone would just tell me what to do and I would have to go home and laboriously work it out on my home computer.

But no, Elliot weaves his knowledgable magic on the computer and voila!

It’s set. Not only is it set but it’s linked to my iphone.

I tell him he is a wizard.

‘Ah, everything is but a google click away,’ he replies

‘Well, for you guys it might be – you grew up with all this technology, so it’s easy for you.’ I say.

‘I hear that a lot,’ he says, but it’s a statement I don’t really understand because we grew up with it, sure, but older people were all here when computers started and saw it all changing like we did. Everyone has been exposed to the same technology right through,’ he explains ever so reasonably.

 ‘Ah yes,’ I reply.

‘But it was always familiar to you young ones from the start but totally new for us. You see, when we grew up, we were told to be careful, and not to touch anything or fiddle around with it if we didn’t know what we were doing, because we would break it.   “Read the instructions!” they would insist.’

‘ So that’s why we have always been so hesitant and unsure, because we have been afraid of it – afraid we’ll break something.  But young people just play around with it until it works and that’s the difference.’

He nods.

‘Yes I see that,’ he said and added that he hadn’t really thought about that aspect before.

‘Anyway,’ he adds, ‘I thinks it’s great to see more older people using iphones and ipads and fit bit flexes etc.  The technology gap is definitely closing’.

Yes I agree, the gap is closing as the technology demystifies ever so slightly.

Thanks Elliot, it was a pleasure and you’re a legend.