The technologically savvy

Ok, so as a child of the 70's and school student of the 80's and 90's (not to mention from a family on a tight income with 5 kids!), my exposure to items such as desktop computers, walkmans and Nintendos was pretty close to zero. In fact, short of a few stints on the primary school communal Apple Mac to play 'Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?', I only truly touched a computer when I reached high school and it was an actual subject.

That said, I was the 'go to' girl in the family whenever it came to the programming of any form of electrical based item. VCR recorder, TV, clock radio, microwave...you name it, someone had to ask me how to work it.

Now it came to my attention the other day that I have regressed when it comes to being techophile. I now struggle with programming the stupid microwave to defrost rather than scorch and pre-cook whatever I've forgotten to take out of the freezer earlier in the day for dinner. Whereas I used to be able to program in multiple shows to be recorded at a later date on the VCR, I now just give the husband a trembling bottom lip and hand over the laptop whenever it goes on the bunk for me.

Is it because I really am losing the ability to follow instructions & puzzle something out; or are items these days becoming much less user friendly? (Please remind me at a later date to fill you in on one of our life-long aims.... to track down the freak who designed the 'allen-key') Is it possible to unintentionally morph from being a technophile to a technophobe?

But I fear not...my 2 1/2 year old daughter appears to have inherited her Daddy's aptitude towards all things with an 'off' and 'on' button. Whilst I struggled to work out how to the heck to recharge the silly portable DVD player, Miss M has it sussed...



Fear not Mummy, I'll torture you with some 'Dora the Explorer' in no time...



See Mum? Piece of cake!