How many "offline" people do you know?

Today was my paternal grandmother's birthday and I called to tell her Happy Birthday. She turned 83. It was a difficult phone conversation because she couldn't hear me due to her loss of hearing. I realized that she was the only person I know in real life that doesn't text and has never even used a computer, let alone the internet. And unfortunately she is the one person I know in real life who could use it the most, due to her inability to hear well anymore.

I am not exaggerating. She has never even been on a computer or a smart phone. My family only got her to start carrying a flip phone in her purse a few years ago just in case she has an emergency. She won't even attempt to text with it.

Oddly enough, while she is my only surviving grandparent, all my other grandparents, who died 7-15 years ago, had used the internet before.

It has to be weird for people like her. Walking around seeing everyone stare at their phones all day. I wonder what she thinks we are doing on there. She never asks.

So how many people do you know who have just never even dipped a toe into the information age?

Skeptic Bob said:

Today was my paternal grandmother's birthday and I called to tell her Happy Birthday. She turned 83. It was a difficult phone conversation because she couldn't hear me due to her loss of hearing. I realized that she was the only person I know in real life that doesn't text and has never even used a computer, let alone the internet. And unfortunately she is the one person I know in real life who could use it the most, due to her inability to hear well anymore.

I am not exaggerating. She has never even been on a computer or a smart phone. My family only got her to start carrying a flip phone in her purse a few years ago just in case she has an emergency. She won't even attempt to text with it.

Oddly enough, while she is my only surviving grandparent, all my other grandparents, who died 7-15 years ago, had used the internet before.

It has to be weird for people like her. Walking around seeing everyone stare at their phones all day. I wonder what she thinks we are doing on there. She never asks.

So how many people do you know who have just never even dipped a toe into the information age?

Click to expand...

Well I have 3 out of 4 grandparents that don't do social media. And while both my parents have facebook and mom uses hers a lot I don't ever communicate with them on there. I swore off social media accounts 5 years ago. Since then my core group of close friends 8 of them have done so too. We communicate threw a group text. Sometimes you can feel disconnected when not using social media but the amount of phone calls I make and receive have gone up 10 fold and I actually have real conversations with my family and friends now. That feeling is so much more important to me.

Skeptic Bob said:

Today was my paternal grandmother's birthday and I called to tell her Happy Birthday. She turned 83. It was a difficult phone conversation because she couldn't hear me due to her loss of hearing. I realized that she was the only person I know in real life that doesn't text and has never even used a computer, let alone the internet. And unfortunately she is the one person I know in real life who could use it the most, due to her inability to hear well anymore.

I am not exaggerating. She has never even been on a computer or a smart phone. My family only got her to start carrying a flip phone in her purse a few years ago just in case she has an emergency. She won't even attempt to text with it.

Oddly enough, while she is my only surviving grandparent, all my other grandparents, who died 7-15 years ago, had used the internet before.

It has to be weird for people like her. Walking around seeing everyone stare at their phones all day. I wonder what she thinks we are doing on there. She never asks.

So how many people do you know who have just never even dipped a toe into the information age?

Click to expand...

My first wife, who was previously married to a famous Hollywood screenwriter, and who went on to have a couple of her own writing credits (Frasier, St. Elsewhere) never got her own email address, never got access to the internet, never had a smartphone, and it wasn't due to her age, it was due to her addictions. She passed away last year at age 69.
My mother never got online either. She passed away age 92 in 2012.

One of my best friends, who got hired to engineer the fuel management systems for several models of Chrysler automobiles, and who had an incredible collection of twelve classic 1950's and 60's Chryslers, never got his own email account, never got a smartphone, never got online. His family got him a Facebook account but he never posted to it. We lost him last year as well. He was my age, sixty-one when he died. The strangest part about it was, he made enormous headway using computers at work, but he retired from Chrysler in 1996, and as far as I know, maybe sent a few dozen pieces of email but all internal.

My old boss at American-Russian Television "doesn't bother with the internet", not even today.
His realtor ex-wife is a huge presence online. His kids make their living on the internet.
Not him, not interested. He still uses a flip phone.

Skeptic Bob said:

Today was my paternal grandmother's birthday and I called to tell her Happy Birthday. She turned 83. It was a difficult phone conversation because she couldn't hear me due to her loss of hearing. I realized that she was the only person I know in real life that doesn't text and has never even used a computer, let alone the internet. And unfortunately she is the one person I know in real life who could use it the most, due to her inability to hear well anymore.

I am not exaggerating. She has never even been on a computer or a smart phone. My family only got her to start carrying a flip phone in her purse a few years ago just in case she has an emergency. She won't even attempt to text with it.

Oddly enough, while she is my only surviving grandparent, all my other grandparents, who died 7-15 years ago, had used the internet before.

It has to be weird for people like her. Walking around seeing everyone stare at their phones all day. I wonder what she thinks we are doing on there. She never asks.

So how many people do you know who have just never even dipped a toe into the information age?

Click to expand...

Totally offline?

Save for some patients, I know three such people. Ironically one of them is a high tension maintenance tech and the other two are a couple in their 90s that lives up the road from me.

No one is really "that offline" in this day and age. This is taking into account plenty of things that we see all the time, hell. I know several homeless people who come in through my facility several times a year, that have smart phones and usually leech wifi from coffee shops and fast food chains.

Skeptic Bob said:

Today was my paternal grandmother's birthday and I called to tell her Happy Birthday. She turned 83. It was a difficult phone conversation because she couldn't hear me due to her loss of hearing. I realized that she was the only person I know in real life that doesn't text and has never even used a computer, let alone the internet. And unfortunately she is the one person I know in real life who could use it the most, due to her inability to hear well anymore.

I am not exaggerating. She has never even been on a computer or a smart phone. My family only got her to start carrying a flip phone in her purse a few years ago just in case she has an emergency. She won't even attempt to text with it.

Oddly enough, while she is my only surviving grandparent, all my other grandparents, who died 7-15 years ago, had used the internet before.

It has to be weird for people like her. Walking around seeing everyone stare at their phones all day. I wonder what she thinks we are doing on there. She never asks.

So how many people do you know who have just never even dipped a toe into the information age?

Click to expand...

My great-grandmother was 93 when she died four years ago. You'd think I'd be ready for it, but I wasn't, and I let it eat me alive little by little, eventually contributing to a nuclear meltdown that lost me a job, but that's neither, here, nor there.

Part of me is curious as to what it would be like if she was posting here, the rest of me would be terrified of the prospect of her finding out that I'm no longer a Christian.

Virtually everyone I know is 'offline'. In fact, I tend to consider most of the people I know to be less intelligent than the average person that I speak with online. I don't like having the same conversations in person as I do online, simply because most of the people I know are not equipped to have such a conversation, while many of the people online can stomp me into dust.

I did have such conversations with my grandmother, and the obvious generational gap produced some differences, but she was thoughtful, intelligent, and one of the few people I trusted to be coherent. I think that might be considered to be ironic, considering her age, but I took that for granted. At the very end, she thought that she might have been losing it, seeing mice pop out of her stove. One day, upon visiting her, I witnessed such a thing occuring and ended up being the one to inform her that she and my mother were getting a bit too paranoid.

There's no other significant grand-parent in my life. I don't know who my mother's father was, and her mother died when she was younger than I am now, which prompted my great-grandmother to take in my nine-year-old mother. My paternal grandmother is still alive, but we don't really know each other that well.

I'm sorry that I spent this whole post talking about grandparents. To answer the question, virtually nobody I know other than my brother spends as much time online. Even the kids that I work with, that are a decade younger than me, would be alien to a message board. I feel more at home here than I do with most of the people I meet face-to-face. With most people, I have to assume that they haven't retained even a grade-school understanding of the constitution or how the government is supposed to work, or even the name of the current vice-president.

This is a completely different world than what most in my life are accustomed to, and I feel that there is a barrier between me and them, regardless of which way they might sway. One day, this won't be an issue, and it will be commonplace for most folks to demand sources and remain skeptics of attitudes and ideas passed by word-of-mouth.

Nobody I know who's alive is offline.

I met a woman a couple weeks ago who has a strange online presence. I was at the bus station to pick up a friend. There was a lady who got off another bus and was waiting on someone to pick her up. So, we started talking and it turned out her friend was late and she was getting pissed off. So I asked her if she had called to find out what was going on. She said she didn't have a phone. I offered to let her use mine. She said she didn't have her friend's number. All she had was a tablet and could communicate with Messenger...and, of course, the bus station had no wifi. She was stuck...friend not showing up...no way to get a hold of them. So I set my phone up as a hot spot, let her connect and she tried to contact her friend. She told me she normally uses VOIP when she needs to talk to people.

So...she has no phone...but she has voice and text communications with anyone who matters to her (as long as she has wifi...LOL!!).

Skeptic Bob said:

Today was my paternal grandmother's birthday and I called to tell her Happy Birthday. She turned 83. It was a difficult phone conversation because she couldn't hear me due to her loss of hearing. I realized that she was the only person I know in real life that doesn't text and has never even used a computer, let alone the internet. And unfortunately she is the one person I know in real life who could use it the most, due to her inability to hear well anymore.

I am not exaggerating. She has never even been on a computer or a smart phone. My family only got her to start carrying a flip phone in her purse a few years ago just in case she has an emergency. She won't even attempt to text with it.

Oddly enough, while she is my only surviving grandparent, all my other grandparents, who died 7-15 years ago, had used the internet before.

It has to be weird for people like her. Walking around seeing everyone stare at their phones all day. I wonder what she thinks we are doing on there. She never asks.

So how many people do you know who have just never even dipped a toe into the information age?

Click to expand...

My mother and father in law were both non computer users. 90s and 80s respectively.

I know a few people who are a little "off", but none that are offline.

humbolt said:

I know a few people who are a little "off", but none that are offline.

Click to expand...

I resemble that remark.

1
have officiated with this fellow for 34 years
he is a very competent umpire
back in the day, we got a call from our booking agent asking us if we were available for specific dates/times/places
we recorded that on our paper calendars
now, we block out dates we are unavailable, and define our travel limit, using an on-line app. our assignment information is then sent to us. we report the game scores on-line to confirm they were completed and then receive our payment electronically

my friend does not understand why he is not getting any calls anymore. when i try to explain it, he knee-jerk responds that he will never get on the internet. that decision is costing him a lot of income

?
a friend from a spades/bid whist group
korean war veteran married for 62 and 1/2 years (he insists on providing the 1/2 for clarity)
showed up recently with a new smart phone
thus far, it only serves as an oversized watch and a mobile phone
it is almost as if he is afraid to touch the "button" icons to learn how to use them
so, while he is technically connected, that connection serves him in no way

How many "offline" people do you know?

Click to expand...

not many, and i mostly hang out with older people. we humans like to communicate, even wannabe hermits like me.

Skeptic Bob said:

Today was my paternal grandmother's birthday and I called to tell her Happy Birthday. She turned 83. It was a difficult phone conversation because she couldn't hear me due to her loss of hearing. I realized that she was the only person I know in real life that doesn't text and has never even used a computer, let alone the internet. And unfortunately she is the one person I know in real life who could use it the most, due to her inability to hear well anymore.

I am not exaggerating. She has never even been on a computer or a smart phone. My family only got her to start carrying a flip phone in her purse a few years ago just in case she has an emergency. She won't even attempt to text with it.

Oddly enough, while she is my only surviving grandparent, all my other grandparents, who died 7-15 years ago, had used the internet before.

It has to be weird for people like her. Walking around seeing everyone stare at their phones all day. I wonder what she thinks we are doing on there. She never asks.

So how many people do you know who have just never even dipped a toe into the information age?

Click to expand...

One: Momma.

She has two computers, printer and high speed Internet connection she's never used; however, she understands the value of the Internet, which is why she has those things. People in her life -- I and my siblings, our kids, her home health aids, other folks who visit her -- use the computer on her behalf, sometimes when she asks them to do so for "this or that" reason and other times of their own volition because it helps them help her.

Momma will, if she feels like it, sit next to us while we use the computer and watch what we do. She may even interject to ask that one let her read something on the screen or look at an image that catches her eye.
That's as much "using" tech as she does. She doesn't touch the mouse.

Momma also has a smartphone. She has it so other people can use it on her behalf. She'll hold it to her ear to talk on it, or if we set it to speakerphone mode, she'll just talk. When it rings, she doesn't answer it, and she doesn't operate it to make a call. She only makes and answers calls on her landline phones, "old school" corded phones or pre-cellphone era cordless ones. She still uses her handwritten address book to look up the numbers of folks she wants to call, though she remembers the phone numbers of her relatives whose numbers haven't changed in decades. (How she can remember those numbers yet can hardly recall much of what happened yesterday, is beyond me, but that's the way dementia works.)

As for other tech, the remote control for her TV/cable is about as much as she uses, and that only to change the channel (4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 26 are all the channels she uses, though her aides will tune to other programs and movies for her) or volume. Once in a blue moon she uses the microwave. She used it more often before, but now that she's gotten used to her aides doing stuff for her, she usually asks them for whatever she wants. Plus, when they see her on the move for something, they always ask what she'd like and then go about doing/getting it for her if it involves tech/machinery.

All things considered, including Momma's status as a nonagenarian, I'd say she's not missing out on too many of tech's benefits, even though she doesn't operate tech items. In the main, she "gets" what it's for. As she puts it, "The Internet is cross between a so-so librarian, a so-so sales clerk, a cranky personal assistant and a busy-body acquaintance who 'knows more than you do' about your business." In a manner of speaking, she's not wrong.

Xelor said:

One: Momma.

She has two computers, printer and high speed Internet connection she's never used; however, she understands the value of the Internet, which is why she has those things. People in her life -- I and my siblings, our kids, her home health aids, other folks who visit her -- use the computer on her behalf, sometimes when she asks them to do so for "this or that" reason and other times of their own volition because it helps them help her.

Momma will, if she feels like it, sit next to us while we use the computer and watch what we do. She may even interject to ask that one let her read something on the screen or look at an image that catches her eye.

"Oh, wait. What is that about..."

Can you make that picture larger?"
​

That's as much "using" tech as she does. She doesn't touch the mouse.

Momma also has a smartphone. She has it so other people can use it on her behalf. She'll hold it to her ear to talk on it, or if we set it to speakerphone mode, she'll just talk. When it rings, she doesn't answer it, and she doesn't operate it to make a call. She only makes and answers calls on her landline phones, "old school" corded phones or pre-cellphone era cordless ones. She still uses her handwritten address book to look up the numbers of folks she wants to call, though she remembers the phone numbers of her relatives whose numbers haven't changed in decades. (How she can remember those numbers yet can hardly recall much of what happened yesterday, is beyond me, but that's the way dementia works.)

As for other tech, the remote control for her TV/cable is about as much as she uses, and that only to change the channel (4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 26 are all the channels she uses, though her aides will tune to other programs and movies for her) or volume. Once in a blue moon she uses the microwave. She used it more often before, but now that she's gotten used to her aides doing stuff for her, she usually asks them for whatever she wants. Plus, when they see her on the move for something, they always ask what she'd like and then go about doing/getting it for her if it involves tech/machinery.

All things considered, including Momma's status as a nonagenarian, I'd say she's not missing out on too many of tech's benefits, even though she doesn't operate tech items. In the main, she "gets" what it's for. As she puts it, "The Internet is cross between a so-so librarian, a so-so sales clerk, a cranky personal assistant and a busy-body acquaintance who 'knows more than you do' about your business." In a manner of speaking, she's not wrong.

Click to expand...

X, i believe we now understand the source of your power of observation

justabubba said:

X, i believe we now understand the source of your power of observation

Click to expand...

Well, thank you. I most certainly take that as a compliment. I envy my parents no-nonsense worldview.

Xelor said:

Well, thank you. I most certainly take that as a compliment. I envy my parents no-nonsense worldview.

Click to expand...

then you read it Xactly as it was intended

Skeptic Bob said:

Today was my paternal grandmother's birthday and I called to tell her Happy Birthday. She turned 83. It was a difficult phone conversation because she couldn't hear me due to her loss of hearing. I realized that she was the only person I know in real life that doesn't text and has never even used a computer, let alone the internet. And unfortunately she is the one person I know in real life who could use it the most, due to her inability to hear well anymore.

I am not exaggerating. She has never even been on a computer or a smart phone. My family only got her to start carrying a flip phone in her purse a few years ago just in case she has an emergency. She won't even attempt to text with it.

Oddly enough, while she is my only surviving grandparent, all my other grandparents, who died 7-15 years ago, had used the internet before.

It has to be weird for people like her. Walking around seeing everyone stare at their phones all day. I wonder what she thinks we are doing on there. She never asks.

So how many people do you know who have just never even dipped a toe into the information age?

Click to expand...

None. Not alive, anyway. My grandparents are all gone.

If both my grandfathers were still alive, then them. My maternal uncle is about 60 years old and he doesn't know how to use a computer, but he has a cell. Does this still count?

In my immediate family, both my parents use computer and internet extensively, even though they know nothing about computers. They are in their mid-60s. Pretty much everybody I know uses the internet and computer in one way or another.

I use a cheap flip phone, only text very rarely, and do not have a Facebook or Twitter acct, but have an email account. Most time I spend online is listening to music.

TheGoverness said:

None. Not alive, anyway. My grandparents are all gone.

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I'm sorry. Grandparents can be a blessing of unconditional love and decades of knowledge/experience. I didn't know my own grandparents well, since they lived far away from me as I grew up. It broke my heart when my own children grew into adulthood, then moved thousands of miles away to raise their own families. The disintegration of family units is a byproduct of the modern ability to relocate anywhere in the country, anywhere on the planet, then tune into social media to pretend that hundreds or thousands of Facebook followers can replace those relatives who would have loved and nurtured you had they been given the chance.

My condolences on your loss.

DiAnna said:

I'm sorry. Grandparents can be a blessing of unconditional love and decades of knowledge/experience. I didn't know my own grandparents well, since they lived far away from me as I grew up. It broke my heart when my own children grew into adulthood, then moved thousands of miles away to raise their own families. The disintegration of family units is a byproduct of the modern ability to relocate anywhere in the country, anywhere on the planet, then tune into social media to pretend that hundreds or thousands of Facebook followers can replace those relatives who would have loved and nurtured you had they been given the chance.

My condolences on your loss.

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I appreciate it. Unfortunately, I can sort of relate. I didn't know half of my grandparents. My dad's dad died before I was even born, and my mom's dad died when I was really young. I was only close to my grandma's. My mom's mom I was the closest to. Unfortunately, since she died, we tend to not have as many family gatherings as we used to.

TheGoverness said:

I appreciate it. Unfortunately, I can sort of relate. I didn't know half of my grandparents. My dad's dad died before I was even born, and my mom's dad died when I was really young. I was only close to my grandma's. My mom's mom I was the closest to. Unfortunately, since she died, we tend to not have as many family gatherings as we used to.

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I'm sorry. I know how lonely and sad it is to find oneself alone, without family for support. Be strong. You are worthy of respect; I am sorry you have lost those who you loved, respected and admired. *hugs*

Di

DiAnna said:

I'm sorry. I know how lonely and sad it is to find oneself alone, without family for support. Be strong. You are worthy of respect; I am sorry you have lost those who you loved, respected and admired. *hugs*

Di

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Thanks, Di. The love is much appreciated. I actually haven't felt lonely in a long time. My immediate family is always around, and I've still got a few of my aunts and cousins as well that I visit often (also my half-brothers). It's just that we tend to not have big gatherings as much anymore.

I'm actually at quite the high point in my life. I've made more friends in college than I have in my entire life, and I'm becoming more open with expressing myself, and being confident on my own. I used to mainly rely on my girlfriend for friends and support, since I used to be seriously shy, and I had a very hard time talking to new people. So going to college without her, I had to make my own connections. But I put myself out there, and look at me now. Sure, I've still got my social anxiety moments, but I've been working on it, and it's gotten so much better.

TheGoverness said:

Thanks, Di. The love is much appreciated. I actually haven't felt lonely in a long time. My immediate family is always around, and I've still got a few of my aunts and cousins as well that I visit often (also my half-brothers). It's just that we tend to not have big gatherings as much anymore.

I'm actually at quite the high point in my life. I've made more friends in college than I have in my entire life, and I'm becoming more open with expressing myself, and being confident on my own. I used to mainly rely on my girlfriend for friends and support, since I used to be seriously shy, and I had a very hard time talking to new people. So going to college without her, I had to make my own connections. But I put myself out there, and look at me now. Sure, I've still got my social anxiety moments, but I've been working on it, and it's gotten so much better.

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You've come a long way, and have matured into a lovely, confident young woman. I'm proud of you! *hugs*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA BOB
Was that loud enough?

Dang, my MIL had hearing aids, and what did she do? Put'em in her purse. One time I dared her to put them in her ears and I continued talking to her in the voice loud enough for her to hear me without, and she tells me to stop yelling at her. I still miss that sweet old lady.

Ok, topic.
We have friends in various stages of bliss. Several refuse to have a computer in their homes, some keep their phones off, but charged, just in case of emergencies. Not all of them are my seniors, surprisingly.
OTOH, I have a friend who's in her 90s, texting and skyping, her favorite past time.

Skeptic Bob said:

Today was my paternal grandmother's birthday and I called to tell her Happy Birthday. She turned 83. It was a difficult phone conversation because she couldn't hear me due to her loss of hearing. I realized that she was the only person I know in real life that doesn't text and has never even used a computer, let alone the internet. And unfortunately she is the one person I know in real life who could use it the most, due to her inability to hear well anymore.

I am not exaggerating. She has never even been on a computer or a smart phone. My family only got her to start carrying a flip phone in her purse a few years ago just in case she has an emergency. She won't even attempt to text with it.

Oddly enough, while she is my only surviving grandparent, all my other grandparents, who died 7-15 years ago, had used the internet before.

It has to be weird for people like her. Walking around seeing everyone stare at their phones all day. I wonder what she thinks we are doing on there. She never asks.

So how many people do you know who have just never even dipped a toe into the information age?

Click to expand...

None. They've all passed away at this point. My father is now the eldest of the relatives and he's active enough with texting and email.