Consider people like my aunt, who through decades of pre-2000 household conditioning, immediately stop whatever they are doing and rush to answer a ringing phone even though 98% of the calls are junk and the volume of incoming calls is 5-10x what they were in the 80s or 90s.

No matter how many times I suggest not bothering to even look at the phone, she cannot resist.

Further, this cohort is largely unable to use the tools we take for granted. Many seniors don't know how to block or screen calls, let along apply the phone's do not disturb features. She has been phished multiple times via email, and every time I check her Mac I have to uninstall scammy browser bars and search redirects.

It's not just the spammers who are the problem. Technology platforms, telcos, and policy makers have failed people like her. Hardware and software designers are part of the problem, too. It seems like every device and app is made for techie/hipster types, not the rest of the population who have no clue what a "hamburger menu" does or where the downloads end up on their computer.

I'm assuming many people on HN are their extended family's de facto IT support team. It's exhausting.