Older Forum Members technology views & use

[Clarity]

Old people behavior is showing evidence of change.

This reports ignores, IMHO, the fact that the comfort level of older people is the major contributor to the rise in technology use. The advantage that technology offers, I think, takes a back seat to the comfort level. More and more of us are accepting the changes in our lifestyles that technology is offering.

In the last of the 3 charts, it shows some remarkable evidence: Rise in Seniors use has NOT declined, thus far. This is some amazing evidence that I did not know.

One other thought, I have, is that older ways of doing things are no longer available in mainstream which may be a cause to much of this change.

Further, the old adage that "Old Habits are Hard to Break" must now have us seeing that "Humans are adaptable...'maybe' more so, as we age"

Enjoy

[Grey]

Enjoy

The main problem of countries that consider themselves developed is very simple. Young people are quite seriously convinced that the use of a smartphone assembled by hardworking Chinese workers is a sign of belonging to technology. It doesn't even make sense to talk about using Youtube and Facebook as a "symbol of belonging".

I recently visited relatives in Donetsk. Not in the former Ukrainian, but the second with the same name located in Russia in my region. I suggested that they make a modern vegetable garden, well, there is automatic watering and all that. No, they say. So not interesting

[Flash]

This reports ignores, IMHO, the fact that the comfort level of older people is the major contributor to the rise in technology use. The advantage that technology offers, I think, takes a back seat to the comfort level. More and more of us are accepting the changes in our lifestyles that technology is offering.

I didn't read the report, I only wanted to say that I recently read an article where someone said that having Internet connectivity anywhere in the world anytime he wanted it was his right. I thought, "Noooo!" There should be huge areas of Earth where you're on your own, where lions and tigers and bears exist and you have to figure out how to get along with them on their terms or stay clear of them. Instead, people want to be able to call for the Marines when they wander into trouble.

[mouldy]

I was recently told I was a luddite cause I didnt want to use a cell phone for everything. Ok. Looks like I must be afraid of technology, who knew.

Oh as to gardening it was kinda nice to hear that covid caused big rise in demand for garden seed and home canning supplies. Hopefully a few of those folk continued beyond those first couple years with the shutdowns. The first couple year always the test of new gardeners. Usually that first year isnt very productive and for many very discouraging. Though with many now having small container gardens on apartment patio with with commercial potting soil, maybe better luck first year as regular watering be biggest thing. Backyard gardens I think becoming more rare as houses on lots with space for a garden priced only for the well heeled and now lot homeowners associations with rules to make a totalitarian strongman feel envious.

[some1]

where lions and tigers and bears exist

Kalamazoo?

[rockedge]

@mouldy I have a nice vegetable/flower garden in our neighborhood garden for the last 12 years. 20ft x 20ft is my plot.

Here is a photo I took with my cheap practice drone. There is my van, and the plot is near the middle of the garden.

This has been a really good year for cucumbers so......lots of homemade pickles. Still working on the optimal brine. The garden has an abundance of fresh dill, garlic.....so right in a jar they go with some mustard seed added as well.

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On the horizon is Long Island Sound.....

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[Grey]

This has been a really good year for cucumbers so......lots of homemade pickles. Still working on the optimal brine. The garden has an abundance of fresh dill, garlic.....so right in a jar they go with some mustard seed added as well.

Yes, in winter, such jars are very useful.
Traditionally, most of our land is planted with potatoes. But there are areas with dill, garlic, onions, cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini. Not many people want to automate home gardens - because then "the connection with the earth will disappear" and it will be boring
The maximum I persuaded my relatives to do was to stick solar-powered lanterns in the ground

[mouldy]

This has been a really good year for cucumbers so......lots of homemade pickles. Still working on the optimal brine. The garden has an abundance of fresh dill, garlic.....so right in a jar they go with some mustard seed added as well.

Yes, in winter, such jars are very useful.
Traditionally, most of our land is planted with potatoes. But there are areas with dill, garlic, onions, cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini. Not many people want to automate home gardens - because then "the connection with the earth will disappear" and it will be boring
The maximum I persuaded my relatives to do was to stick solar-powered lanterns in the ground

Boring with predictable harvest is good. I have lived on top of rocky ridge for last 30 years. Some years, my well goes dry. Every summer is hot with serious dry spells. Meaning yea no water for garden and rains are matter of luck here in summer. This was a "flash drought" year though wasnt long enough to dry up my well. Lot of triple digit weather (Fahrenheit, not Celsius, LOL) I am down to one okra plant in garden, nothing else. When it got dry, the bunny rabbits being desperate, chewed them down. Wasnt real happy about it, but I understood. In flower planter up by house I have three longevity spinach (its some tropical plant that is used like spinach, not a real spinach) and two Mexican sunflower (not real sunflowers, the plant looks something like a sunflower I guess but for decoration only, has small red blooms) Thats it, only survivors. Most years I have bountiful cucuzzi gourd (used in immature stage like zucchini only it climbs [vigorously up any handy tree, fence, whatever] and much more bug resistant). Also for whatever reason, Great Northern beans do very well in this very dry-ish southern climate. One of best variety beans for this area that I found. The other being rattlesnake pole beans. By way young leaves on the cucuzzi and the Great Northern beans are edible in salad. Even found a carrot that most years does ok, its from Japan developed for tropical heat. Most carrots really dont do well here, cool weather crop. This summer even too much for the Japanese carrot. Unfortunately cant eat tomatoes, they zoom my blood sugar. Oh spaghetti squash for whatever reason tends to do well most years (not this year),

That longevity spinach really proved out, it loves the heat but needs regular watering. Its perennial but wont survive winters here, have to take some cuttings and keep them overwinter in the house. Its going to be a regular in my garden. Not lot of salad greens that can make it through summer here without getting really bitter and tough. Not quite as tasty as real spinach grown in spring/fall but its ok, more than a survival food.

[Grey]

Unfortunately cant eat tomatoes, they zoom my blood sugar.

It's a pity, I say this as a person who can eat tomatoes in huge doses in any form. Once upon a time I served in the army and our unit helped farmers to harvest, as they could not cope with a huge number of tomatoes. As a result, I ate so many tomatoes that even my urine turned red. At that moment, I thought I would never eat tomatoes again. But... time has passed and I eat them and quite a lot.