How can you maintain your resistance to new technology?
It is time for me to reveal the truth. I proudly resisted moving along on the technology bandwagon. Perfectly happy I was, with my HP PC and my flip top phone. I spent many years clicking away with my text alphabet: Two taps for B, three for C and so on when I sent my cryptic messages like everyone else. “Why did I need anything more?”, I quipped when my technologically advanced son Eric pressured me. He is a Mac afficianado. His sons are i-Mac’d and iPadded through many lost and damaged phones and computers.
It is all my fault, and I own up to it. Many years ago, probably 1987, I decided to take a programming course at Solano Community College. It was becoming embarrassing that my middle school students knew more about the computer than I. When I say “more about the computer,” I mean “how to turn it on.” My husband and I signed up, and then by the off chance Eric might be interested in the class, we invited him to join us. My husband and son did very little of the homework assigned, while I turned in volumes of “Go to S” worksheets in my attempts to build program trees. Needless to say, they got the same B I received without ever entering the computer lab.
Marshall went on to work at Tandy Company and teach many how to use the computer. Eric graduated as an Information Systems nerd. For me, I went on to use a computer, mobile phone, and my GPS. I was often heard ranting that I did not need anything else to remain connected to the modern age.
Then there was this incident when I was out to lunch with my son and we just happened to enter the Apple Store in Walnut Creek. My iPad was the first Apple device I ever owned. My son was so strategic in getting me in and out of the store that he inadvertently used his email address instead of mine during the purchase. This error has perplexed the Apple not so genius group as to how to make the device mine.
I do enjoy my mini iPad for games and books. Truly I didn’t have that capability until this purchase, but I could still rant that I had everything I needed to be in the current age with my flip top phone, GPS, mini iPad and PC.
Then Bob entered my life. An engineer with a degree from MIT and a passion for– you guessed it– technology. It just so happened that I had already purchased a 5S Apple iPhone because my wonderful flip top Samsung was heating up, and I could no longer stay on the phone for more than five minutes. So now I had two apple products, the iPhone and the iPad. The next in this sequence was when my HP went blue. Apparently when the screen goes blue, so are you because you need a new computer. Yes, I bought an Apple desktop. My son was elated.
And then the worst happened, Bob talked me into buying– blush, blush, hide my face– The Watch. I call it The Stupid Watch. It doesn’t operate without being near my iPhone. It has no redeeming value that I can see. It does give you the time, date, outdoor temperature, time the moon sets and your pulse rate. I could have lived without the Watch. I do have to admit that I proudly displayed it when I strolled into the Berkeley Apple Store. I kind of pushed up my sleeve a little so everyone could see I was one of them. I was a member of the club.
The word on the street with the Watch is that there will soon be an app in which you can call 911 and the Watch will send your medical information and your location via GPS to the EMTs. Perhaps someday the Watch will have purpose, but for now not only is it useless but the person buying it is not too smart.
Now, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, announced the iPhone 7. Mind you I have a 5 when everyone else had a 6. The 7 has a sleeker design, a better camera, is water resistant, has a wireless ear bud and I am sure all of the members of the club will be spending $649 for the 7 and $769 for the 7+. I would be very surprised if my son, Eric isn’t the first on line to purchase this new product.
But since I started off saying I was going to tell the truth even though it is very embarrassing, I’ll bring it full circle. Even though Eric has every Apple product ever made and loves the company and their advances, he does not own the Watch. He is not stupid. Oh, the new Watch– not the one I own– is waterproof.

Ellen Blaufarb is a Marriage Family Therapist

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