Old? Do not fear, your new best friend is here to help
It’s impossible to keep up these days. Lucky, then, that AI has the time and patience to teach us.
Old? Don't let fear hold you back – your new best friend, artificial intelligence, is here to help. Charmain Naidoo, a journalist and media strategist, admits she's become as technophobic as her mother, who refused to use a cellphone or internet banking. Naidoo explains that constant learning of new skills helps maintain brain health and stave off dementia.
However, she feels overwhelmed by the rapid pace of technological advancements. Technology has changed so much in the past decade that keeping up has been like Sisyphus, endlessly pushing a boulder uphill and watching it roll back down.
Naidoo describes her struggle with new technology, such as updating her Chrome account, which led to more upgrades and reset her carefully organized library. She also complains about the confusing terminology introduced by technology, such as "bug" referring to a computer error, "cloud" now meaning cloud storage, and "scroll" taking on a new meaning.
Naidoo attributes her reluctance to adapt to the sheer terror of constantly learning and relearning new skills, as well as the lack of direct access to young people and current trends.
Despite her reluctance, Naidoo reflects on the challenges of adapting to a rapidly changing world and the importance of helping others in need. She compares her situation to Odysseus, the hero from Homer's epic poem, who has had his glory days but is now facing a tumultuous journey. Naidoo believes that getting involved in helping others can be the antidote to feeling irrelevant and overwhelmed by technology.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
