I Don’t Have The Money To Keep Up With My Grandchildren! %page

I Don’t Have The Money To Keep Up With My Grandchildren!

Posted by Sophie Egge on July 23, 2011 Leave a comment (0) Go to comments

My digital grandchildren are making me old It’s school vacation time and yesterday I received a gentle reminder that I should spend the day with Tommy, aged 11 and bored stiff at home. He is a champion swimmer and elected not to go to summer camp with all his friends but stay home and concentrate on his swimming. I picked him up at 11 and off we went. “Fancy a little bowling?” I asked.

My day “This is your day, Pop. Whatever you decide to do, I’m with you!” We head for the mall and the new bowling alley. As we entered the mall we see a large crowd gathered around a roped off kiosk. “Hey cool!” said Tommy. “Angry birds!” I asked what it was but I didn’t understand the explanation and kept quiet so as not to appear stupid. What I did understand is that it’s a game played on iPhones, iPods and iPads. “Have you got an iPhone?” I ask. He looks shocked as though I may have asked if he has hands on the ends of his arms.

New iPhone “Pop, have you heard that iPhone 5 is coming out soon?” I grunt a no. “It may not have buttons! Cool, eh?” I grunt again. Phones without buttons? Whoever heard of that? But the truth is that I’ve never heard of much of the new launches. Sometimes I feel like I have been dropped into another world, one where everyone walks around with some gadget or other in his hands. Look around you in the mall and you see bunches of kids all frantically talking on phones, pushing buttons on iPhones, iPods and iPads, all talking to each other at the same time. I see kids driving cars and texting each other as they do a 4-wheel slide around a corner.

The money And where does all the money come from to buy these gadgets, none of which is cheap?

My computer Granddaughter Belinda walked into the study one morning while I was hammering away at the keyboard. “That thing has to be the last remaining steam-operated computer in the world. The museum would be delighted to have it on display. It’s time to upgrade, Pop!” “Why do I need to upgrade?” “The latest model will be twenty times faster, that’s why!” “Belinda, dear, come and watch me typing. Sit here. Ready? Off I go!” “So, how’s my speed?’ “Great, Pop. You are an excellent typist.” “Good. Now an upgraded computer will allow me to go faster than that? My book will be finished sooner?” “Pop, you’re using version one point three! They’re selling version seven downtown! Why don’t you get it?” “What’ll it do for me?” and she had no answer.

My Smartphone “You should get a smartphone, Pop,” said Jason the other day. “Why?” “A smartphone is not just for making calls, Pop. It’s a powerful computer, and if you’re just making calls you’re only using a fraction of its capabilities,” he explains patiently. Should I explain to 16 year old Jason that I bought the phone to make calls?