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I'm a computer programmer heading into my 40s. One of my kids is a pre-teen now who is on various computers and devices a lot every day. I knew way more about

I'm a computer programmer heading into my 40s. One of my kids is a pre-teen now who is on various computers and devices a lot every day. I knew way more about computers back when I was that age than my kids do! And believe me, I've tried to offer to teach them more about programming and how things work under the hood, but they're just not interested. I think the common assumptions around "young = tech-savvy" "old = luddite" has gone completely out the window in recent years, perhaps in the last decade. In fact, I now generally trust the opinions of technologists who are in their 30s+ way more than 20s and below. I think there's been a tragic lack of proper education around open source, open protocols, networking, ethics in computerized communications, and other vital issues in tech. Perhaps it's somewhat analogous to how many people a few decades ago were pretty knowledgable about how automobiles work, the parts of an engine, etc., and some folks were amateur mechanics who liked tinkering with their cars. These days, I think it's safe to assume the vast majority of drivers know next to nothing about cars technically-speaking and aren't even interested in knowing. The difference now though is that you don't need to know anything about cars to work most jobs, and arguably we need a less car-dependent society which prioritizes mass transit. On the other hand, a fair degree of computer & internet knowledge is useful for many jobs in the modern economy and even in terms of policy-making in general. Younger generations not having a handle on it is a real concern.

ubittibu 4y ago
I'm in your age range, but totally different trade, worked in two contexts, one with my parents, one with coworkers younger than me, in both places I was the one who had to solve everyday tech issues. I think the comparison with mechanics is very fitting. My dad and other guys of his gen used to disassemble and reassemble their scooters, while me as a kid felt was useless and too much difficult doing that. Probably there's a golden age when a technology is mature enough to be accessible but still open to personal contribution of the amateur and a point when it reaches a level of industrialization, complexity and is perfected enough that you don't feel the necessity to spend time tinkering with it.

ubittibu 4y ago

I'm in your age range, but totally different trade, worked in two contexts, one with my parents, one with coworkers younger than me, in both places I was the one who had to solve everyday tech issues. I think the comparison with mechanics is very fitting. My dad and other guys of his gen used to disassemble and reassemble their scooters, while me as a kid felt was useless and too much difficult doing that. Probably there's a golden age when a technology is mature enough to be accessible but still open to personal contribution of the amateur and a point when it reaches a level of industrialization, complexity and is perfected enough that you don't feel the necessity to spend time tinkering with it.