I love technology. Amazing, isn’t it? Especially considering I’m a Boomer (and damn proud of it). As a Boomer, I’ve seen it all—seriously and proud to have gone through it all.
- Black and white TVs – no remote control – had to get up off your butt to change the channel
- Colour TV without—and then with—a remote
- TVs so big and heavy it took three people to move them
- I love the newer, lightweight big-screen TVs
- 78 records
- 33 records
- 45 records
- Reel-to-reel tapes
- 8-track players
- Cassette players
- Boom boxes
- Digital recorders
- MP3 players
- Walkmans
- iPods
- Cellular phones the size of a loaf of bread and five times as heavy
- Cellular flip phones (which are somehow making a comeback)
- iPhones
- iPads
- Kindles
- Computers with monitors the size of a microwave
- Microwaves so massive and heavy it took two people to lift them
- Microwaves – smaller, lighter, and faster
- Desktop computers with floppy disk drives
- Desktops with internal card readers
- Desktops with CD/DVD drives
- Laptops
- Thin, lightweight computer screens
- External hard drives
- External disc drives
- External card readers
- Brownie cameras you had to crank to advance the film (all pictures black and white)
- Cameras with film rolls you had to drop off and wait a week to develop
- Digital cameras with SD cards
- Home printers (black and white only at first)
- Colour printers
- All-in-one home printers
- Webcams
And the list goes on. I’m probably forgetting a few things, or maybe I just haven’t discovered them yet. Either way, the amount of technology I’ve used or watched evolve is nothing short of incredible.
I’ve also learned tons of computer programs over the years—some I’ve loved some I’ve cursed at, but all have helped me grow and adapt.
What’s even cooler? I still love learning new things about computers, apps, gadgets—you name it. I’m the one who wants to figure it out, press all the buttons (hopefully not the wrong ones), and dig in.
A lot of Boomers haven’t kept up with technology, and honestly, I think they’re doing themselves a disservice. Just because we’re older doesn’t mean we shouldn’t embrace change. We’ve lived through so many changes already—why stop now?
When I hear about something new in the tech world, I go straight to my reliable friend: Google. I’m not afraid to go down a rabbit hole and come out the other side with new knowledge. Speaking of new friends, ChatGPT and I are getting pretty tight. I ask it questions, use it to review my newsletters and bounce ideas off it. I know it’s not always right (and I’m the first one to tell it when it’s wrong—LOL), but it’s been a fun and surprisingly helpful tool.
I even asked ChatGPT the other day what it thought about politics. It gave me a very diplomatic answer—“I don’t have opinions”—but then hit me with a truckload of useful info on different parties, platforms, and pros and cons. I was impressed, even if I still don’t know who to vote for!
The world is changing fast. Sometimes it feels like it’s shifting faster than we can keep up. But here’s my two cents: no matter what your age, keep up or risk getting left behind. Technology is the future, and guess what? The future is already here.
I absolutely love doing my banking online. It beats the heck out of having to drive to the bank just to pay a bill or move money between accounts. If only we could figure out how to print cash at home—ha! Just kidding (sort of). But really, who uses cash anymore? Everything is cards, Apple Pay, or even your watch.
Speaking of watches—which I forgot to list earlier—I started out with a Jawbone, moved to a Fitbit, and now rock an Apple Watch. I love it and all its features. Honestly, I don’t know how I ever lived without it. It tells me when to breathe, move, stand, and even when I’ve been sitting too long writing blog posts like this one.
There’s something incredibly empowering about being able to master new tech—especially when people expect you not to. I still remember when people thought using a computer was a “young person’s game.” Yeah, okay. Watch me troubleshoot my internet, update my apps, and video chat across time zones. Who says we can’t keep up?
Technology has changed how we connect, how we learn, how we relax, how we do business, and how we live. We’ve gone from rotary phones to video calls, from pen pals to instant messages, from encyclopedias to search engines that live in our pockets. And I, for one, am here for it.
As I said—loud and proud—I love technology. We barely had any when I was growing up, but I’ve embraced every new development like a kid in a candy store. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
And as Tigger would say, “TTFN, Ta, Ta, for now!”