For parents of young children it's no good being a technophobe. The other day I was fiddling with my iPhone when I inadvertently pushed the icon for one of the many functions I don’t understand and never use. A note popped up on notepaper graphics that read: “Hello anty Rown, u r a poo.” I am not sure (although I have my suspicions) which of my six nieces or nephews wrote this delightful missive, but it is proof, if any were needed, that their skills with a smart phone far exceed mine.
It’s the same story with my boys: my eight-year-old knows how to download, play and upgrade games from the Apple App store, while I wouldn’t have a clue, or give a monkey’s. Indeed, research released this week by Geek Squad (a technology company) found that 30 per cent of women were bamboozled by their mobile phones, compared with 22 per cent of men.
My 58-year-old husband – or Edwardian dad, as he’s known in this household – falls into a category the researchers didn’t bother mentioning: people who can’t use mobiles because they refuse to own one. On the rare occasions my spouse has to use mine he behaves as if it is a small thermonuclear device about to detonate in his ear. He holds the phone two feet from his head and then shouts, “I can’t hear you!” at the poor sap he’s rung. Read More
