ACCORDING to a recent report, many youngsters are
spurning the age-old tradition of confiding in, and learning from, their
grandparents. Instead, they’re turning to their personal computers, laptops and
tablets and going on-line in search of answers to life’s more perplexing
questions. The internet is, of course, a remarkable resource for facts, figures
and general information, but it will never possess something that most
grandparents have in abundance … the ability to impart genuine worldly wisdom.
Highs
and Lows
Worldly wisdom comes from experiencing the sometimes
stark reality of life’s highs and lows up close and personal. Indeed, in common
with our own grandparents and their grandparents before them, the life lessons
we seniors have learned from those experiences have tended to stay with us. And
that’s where their value comes into its own. As was the case when we were
young, our grandchildren, and today’s youngsters in general, have a thirst for
knowledge and understanding that many of them can’t – or won’t – share with
their parents. These issues are often very personal and private concerns that
have their root in their relationships with their peers and the wider world.
In comparison, most of today’s pensioners have been
there, done that and worn-out the T-shirts, and so they carry with them a
reservoir of knowledge – worldly wisdom – that can be readily tapped by young
people. Taking advantage of this reservoir can bring answers to deeply troubling
questions that cannot properly be addressed on-line, and especially on social
networks, where self-appointed counsellors peddle their misleading and,
sometimes, downright dangerous opinions.
No
I Can’t!
So what can we grandparents do to wrestle back the initiative when it comes to interacting with our grandchildren? Well, first and foremost, we could adopt the ancient maxim of “if you can’t beat ‘em, then join ‘em”. Let’s face it, today’s young ones are not going to give-up their cyber lifestyles, so we need to climb on-board too. How? Okay, unless you’ve already done so, why not treat yourself to a laptop, PC or tablet and then ask you grandson(s) and/or granddaughter(s) to show you the basics? Wait a moment, though: I think I can hear some of you shouting at me already! “I’m much to old learn how to work a computer” … “I’m useless at new technology” … “Sit me at a personal computer, laptop or tablet, and I’m bound to break it” … I hear you cry.
Yes
You Can!
My answer to all those claims is “oh, no you’re not,
and no you won’t!” Instead of putting-up barriers to your options, first ask
yourself these questions. Do you use a TV and/or DVD player remote control? And
do you remember how easy it was to get the hang of the remote control, and then
expand your use of it through trial and error? If your answer to both questions
is “yes” then I can assure you, you could learn the basics of how to work a
personal computer, laptop or tablet very quickly indeed. From there, it’s just
one small step and you’ll be on-line and interacting, not only with your
grandchildren, but, even more importantly, with your fellow pensioners all over
the UK and overseas.
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