Tech Isn’t Going Anywhere, Time To Make Friends With It Al Del Degan
W
hen my father was alive, he was one of those “old school” folks. He grew up in the days of Frank Sinatra and his first brand new car was a ‘56 chevy. He was a very intelligent man, but he grew up long before the transistor had been invented. Technology, to him, was always something he didn’t understand, didn’t want to understand, and didn’t want to be bothered with having to understand. He only got Internet service because he won a free iPad and wanted to be able to use it. He was practical that way, but his overwhelming fear of technology left him feeling inadequate. You would often hear him say things like “you young people understand this stuff, I was born too long ago.” When I think back on it, I am frustrated that my father never wanted to learn. About all I could teach him on his iPad was to scan
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Al Del Degan and his dad, Alido Del Degan
his lottery tickets to see if he won anything. Multiple family members and friends, including myself, tried to show him how to use email and find videos on YouTube, but it was a lost cause. He just had a fear that he could not overcome. It would have been great if my dad was more comfortable with technology though. When he was stuck in the hospital, he could have talked with people over video conferencing and even ordered delicious food to be delivered to him. Instead he was very lonely, staring at the wall and waiting for people to come and visit him. People could not come though, due to the lockdowns.
