Ask HN: How do I teach my parents to use a computer? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How do I teach my parents to use a computer?

3 pointsdabockster5 comments

My parents are barely able to use a computer. Beyond Google and a few Office programs, they are completely unable to perform tasks that we, as programmers, consider trivial. To put things in perspective, they cannot usually cut and paste text without my help.

I have been living at home due to my own circumstances, so I have been able to help them. However, I am deeply afraid that they will be in deep trouble when I finally move out. I fear that they will have extreme difficulty performing basic tasks as more things go online and paperless.

Anyone here have experience educating their elders on technology? Any resources to help with this? Any classes or books? Any ways to make it seem less intimidating? What are your insights?

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With difficulty! They will never be as good with computers as you are. You just need to accept that.

It is probably not a good idea to try to teach them competencies they do not see the need for. You could help them understand how to do things that they want to do. With that motivation they might be better able to concentrate on the essentials.

People have specific learning styles. When the teacher prefers a different modality to the learner you have a huge obstacle to overcome and often times neither is aware of it. The modalities are often described as: visual; auditory; kinesthetic. There is a massive body of literature on this area. For example; "SuperLearning".

In very brief summary the options are:

1. Show them how to do things and let them take notes or even record a short video on a smartphone.

2. Let them sit at the computer and tell them what steps to take. Again letting them take notes might help.

3. Document the steps required, e.g. screen grabs, and written explanations. Then let them follow those instructions as and when they need to refer to them.

> The modalities are often described as: visual; auditory; kinesthetic.

The evidence base for learning styles is very weak [1]. It's fashionable in schools and teacher training to deride them as a neuromyth. You can make a slightly different argument: that different things are taught better in different ways; or having the same concept explained in multiple different ways helps everyone learn; or that we all have learning preferences which make us feel comfortable. The link between teachers accommodating learning styles in classrooms and improved student outcomes is very tenuous.

[1] https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summari...

From my experience people who lack basic computer skills don't have them because they don't want them and trying to teach them would be a waste of time.

I've noticed this with my own parents and even some friends (who use a computer at work on a daily basis albeit for very simple tasks).

Some people just don't want to invest a little time & effort to learn how to better use their tools. I don't know if it's laziness, or fear, or something else, but there's nothing you can do to force them.

All the resources have always been there should people want to learn. The only people left in this situation are those that don't want to learn.

Instead of trying to teach them, how about making it so there's less stuff to teach by getting them an easier to use machine like an iPad? My parents swear by it and I haven't had a tech support call in ages.

Google and a few office programs seems to be an entirely normal level of computer competency for one's parents. Many of our parents aren't even using a general-purpose computer anymore, just iPads.

Why do they need to use a general purpose computer more than they are today? Is it for their work? The answer to what to do seems like it depends on the answer to that.

I got my grandmother to use a computer, but she always used a few predefined paths.

Another elderly relative relied on a relatively inexpensive, patient tech support person (basically an advanced user). There was a cottage industry of techies helping the elderly in my country, maybe there's something similar where you live?

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