Technology is changing very rapidly
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325321)
Rockingham, Australia
January 13, 2019 2:15am CST
I watched a YouTube clip of two teenage boys trying to work out how to use a rotary dial telephone. They had never seen one before and couldn’t figure out how to make a call on it. Probably to most of us this seems very strange. It doesn’t seem that long ago that these went out of common use but it goes to show how technology has advanced. It also brought to mind two other instances where people were perplexed by what I would have thought were very common gadgets.
We had two Singaporean couch-surfers/backpackers staying with us and they were helping us get ready for one of our concerts. The girl offered to take the wheel-barrow to a certain area. However she didn’t realise she needed to lift the handles off the ground. She was trying to push the barrow along the ground.
Later her friend wanted to heat his coffee in the microwave but had no idea how to operate it. He said his Mum had one but he’d never used it. I can understand this really as they are all a bit different. Have you seen instances of people having no idea how to do something that you thought was easy?
The photo is of the Music Shack in the process of being built. We’ve now had 30 plus concerts. The next one is today week.
30 people like this
35 responses
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
13 Jan 19
i remember that wheelbarrow incident. about the microwave, though, how did he heat his coffee back in singapore?
our first telephone had a rotary dial. we still have a landline, but of course it's touch-tone now.
8 people like this
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
13 Jan 19
Yes, the taps have also become newfangled. So it is a bit of experimenting at hotels and such.
My kids when they first got into a lift,elevator, many years ago called it a flying box
5 people like this
@JudyEv (325321)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Jan 19
@responsiveme It can be very confusing. I'm hopeless with taps. My husband usually has first shower then gives me a lesson in how to operate the hot and cold water, etc.
2 people like this
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
13 Jan 19
@JudyEv He he...Hot or cold....Push or pull..This way or that
thats
me in front of taps
thats
me in front of taps2 people like this
@snowy22315 (169576)
• United States
13 Jan 19
Yes, kids today when they see a typewriter they consider it to be an antique.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (325321)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Jan 19
What about Gestetner machines? 
Even carbon paper?
Even carbon paper?
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
13 Jan 19
Someday those kids will look in the mirror and see antiques looking back at them.
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
13 Jan 19
The wheelbarrow remains me an anecdote. We need wheelbarrows on excavations, but during 2 or 3 years in the 1990's somebody working at the ministry had decided otherwise. A colleague bought 3 wheelbarrows for an excavation site and the bill came back from the public accountant telling "I cannot pay for wheelbarrows". He went again to the shop and asked them to write a new bill saying "Human powered mono-wheel vehicles". The bill for this new technological gadget was paid.
3 people like this
@jobelbojel (34729)
• Philippines
13 Jan 19
When Nokia was still the craze in the town, we got lots of calls asking how to write message and send.
5 people like this
@jobelbojel (34729)
• Philippines
14 Jan 19
@JudyEv Exactly. I wonder how it will be done if it is new to me.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (94747)
• Marion, Ohio
13 Jan 19
I loved that video. The wheel barrow picture in my mind of her is funny, but many people have never seen them.
4 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (94747)
• Marion, Ohio
14 Jan 19
@JudyEv But to me it does not look hard to figure out. But I have grew up seeing them used so that would be part of it.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325321)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Jan 19
@wolfgirl569 I doubt this girl had done much of anything, sweet as she was.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325321)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Jan 19
I suppose when it is such an integral part of your life, you just think everyone has seen them and used one but of course that isn't the case at all.
@changjiangzhibin89 (16517)
• China
13 Jan 19
Your concerts are flourishing! For my part,the two backpackers hardly do household chores at home .
2 people like this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16517)
• China
14 Jan 19
@JudyEv You have so many backpacking friends who are as intimate as the members of your family.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325321)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Jan 19
@changjiangzhibin89 We have had some good times with some of them and even visited a couple in their home countries. One we will see again in June or July.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (111073)
• El Paso, Texas
13 Jan 19
I saw that clip on YouTube, it was hilarious.
Young people today were raised with advanced technology but have no clue about past technologies ..... whats worse is most have never been in rural areas where they'd have to help with serious yard work.
2 people like this
@Letranknight2015 (51490)
• Philippines
13 Jan 19
With today's technology, you'd think they'd be a lot smarter than us by now, such a disappointment. It was meant to help us learn faster and connect a little bit more. But can't blame them, not much to learn when there's so many distractions in the internet and social media.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325321)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Jan 19
Yes, there are plenty of distractions nowadays - and in a way, so much to learn or that they could be learning.
@JudyEv (325321)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Jan 19
Yes, that's true - and protection fro the weather although I'm not sure what we'd do if it actually rained. Several times we've moved the performance indoors but we can't do that if we have 100 coming. The limit inside is about 70.
@Swayamsiddha (4358)
• New Delhi, India
13 Jan 19
Yes. I have seen many people with such instances. It is really upsetting.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (325321)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Jan 19
The shack is for the musicians. The audience bring their own chairs and sit on the grass.
@JudyEv (325321)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Jan 19
This is a photo of it in the process of being built. It stays standing now although the walls are removeable if need be. We put blanket and shade cloth (not sure of the European equivalent) on the walls and that is removed after each concert but the iron is not taken down.
