‘Moore’s Law’ is the principle that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles every two years, resulting in faster computers and exponential growth in technology. If this is true, it would explain why older people struggle to keep up with the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Whilst newer generations are growing up with computers and smartphones in the internet age, our elders are still in their infancy of using them. This results in some hilarious moments when they completely and utterly fail at using today’s technology. There are more than just tech missteps too—some just come from being out of the loop with the here and now. How do you politely explain to grandma that uh… “thing” she has, is not what she thinks it is?
We’re not giving them a hard time about it: it’s just funny (and cute) seeing those we consider wiser than us showing us that this isn’t always the case. Bored Panda has collected the latest examples of this but you can see our other collections here and here. Vote for your favorites and try to show your elders how to do it too!
#1 My Dad Likes Reading So I Got Him A Kindle For His Birthday. He's Using It As A Bookmark
Image credits: repliers_beware
When we think about the expansion of the internet in the last thirty years, it’s hard to imagine a world without it, or even a time before it. Although the younger generation has an increasing dependence on it, the previous generations got by just fine without it.
So, this begs the question of why older people would need it at all. It can be tricky trying to explain the benefits and fun of it to someone that still doesn’t know what “an internet” is. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but it’s still worth a shot.
Learning something new is difficult for anybody, not at least for older people. So, there can be some teething issues when trying to use the internet on your own. Combine that with the naivety of what is socially acceptable to share online and not knowing the modus operandi of online communities, and you have the results shown here.
#2 Grandpa Went To Get His Passport Photos Done But Pressed The Wrong Button
Image credits: AnnaHeslop
Although the internet has officially been around for a long time, seeing and sharing funny examples of the elderly misusing it has only appeared in recent times. So, why are pages like r/OldPeopleFacebook only popping up now?
There’s a number of factors that account for it, and if you bear with us, it’s interesting to look at. Like we mentioned about ‘Moore’s Law’, technology is becoming more advanced as time goes on. It’s also becoming cheaper and therefore, more available too.
#3 They Had Us In The First Half Not Gonna Lie
Image credits: balmthreat
#4 My Uncle Using His Flashlight To Brighten Up My Dads iPad Screen
Image credits: brisk911
A perfect example of this is our computers and internet speeds. Anyone who remembers booting up a bulky beige box and having to listen to the sound of robots screaming to access the internet in the early ‘90s will understand what we mean. Computers with dial-up were slow back then.
Nowadays, we have the internet in the palm of our hands with smartphones, and we always seem to be connected wherever we go. This makes it easier to enjoy all the benefits that it brings. Whether it’s sharing photos with your family and friends, or checking out the latest fun stuff on Bored Panda, there’s plenty of joy to be had.
#5 My Mom Found A Blurb In The Newspaper About An App She Was Interested In And Wanted To Remember
Instead of taking a picture of it, she cut it out and taped it to the back of her phone.
Image credits: Feebedel324
#6 My Grandfather Got This Tie For Free In The '90s And Wears It To Every Passover Seder
Image credits: Dresslerj1
And it seems the younger generations want their parents and grandparents to join in too. In an ongoing survey conducted by Pew Research Center, the results show that the numbers of elderly US citizens using the internet are gradually increasing year upon year. When the study first started in the year 2000, only 14% of over-65s said they’d used it. Currently, 75% of people in the same age range now use it regularly.
#7 Wrong Emoji
Image credits: ka5sh
#8 My Grandma Knows I’m An Uber Driver But Doesn’t Know How It Works. She Got Me This Planner And Wrote “Thought This Would Be Good For Your Uber Appt’s”
She's beyond precious.
Image credits: ck2400
#9 Trying To Explain To The 70-Year-Old Swiss Man Who Offered To Take Our Pic That His Finger Was Covering The Lens
Image credits: Inesmu
It’s great that more and more elderly have access to the internet. Now, they just need some supervision on how to use it properly... But in all seriousness, despite having used it, there’s still a large number of elderly that struggle with it.
A 2015 survey also completed by Pew Research Center shows that only 26% of over-65s feel confident in using computers, smartphones, or other devices. Approximately one-third of the respondents said that they were only a little (23%) or not at all (11%) confident with using tech to go online.
#10 My Mother Got Embarrassed When She "Found My Girlfriends Panties" On Our Kitchen Table
Image credits: TommyNoble21
#11 I Told My Grandpa That I Wanted To Build My Own Computer While We Were Talking Over The Phone, A Week Later This Came In The Mail
Image credits: sagull
#12 When You Choose An Inappropriate Background To Break The Bad News
Image credits: pikadrew
A change is definitely needed to help the elderly’s attitude to technology and the internet. How can we make a difference? The Good Things Foundation, a US charity that helps people to get online, has partnered with the Centre for Ageing Better in the UK to publish a handy guide on how to do so.
Taking things slowly and one step at a time is an important point in beginning their journey. The guide explains: “Agree on simple goals, at least to start with. On the first day, it could be just checking the weather or what’s on TV, which can give older people a sense of instant achievement. But also think about more complex, longer-term goals, like having a video call with a relative.”
#13 Bob
Image credits: JJ_Denhollander
#14 Haven't Found My Fisheye Lens For Weeks. My Mom Used It As A Clipper
Image credits: ur1m
#15 My Grandma, An Avid Gardener, Has Been Wearing This Mask For Weeks. The Checkout Lady At The Store Today Explained It To Her
Image credits: candice13579
There’s an emphasis on taking it slowly too. The guide continues: “Don’t rush them: if they’re not ready to start right now, try and agree on a time that you can both put aside. Let them feel in control. Tell them they can stop anytime they want to.”
“Explain that you don’t want to show them everything, but you think there are one or two things that they might find useful. Explain what the benefits are, and give them the chance to ask questions.”
#16 My Dad Gave Me This Picture For Christmas
Image credits: Dabeeeeeeed
#17 So My Grandmother Framed A Picture Of Her Niece
Image credits: NigelBigDaddy
#18 My Grandpa Doesn’t Trust His New Roomba So He’s Been Following It Around
Image credits: WarmTummyRubs
There’s a lot more great information in the guide, so if you need help getting some stubborn elders onto the internet, it’s a recommended read. Hopefully, we’ll see more people of all ages getting started, especially for the fun stuff they unintentionally bring us.
Let us know if you have your own elders that give you a laugh when trying to use the internet. And share your stories in the comments!
#19 My Grandma’s Friend Used The Voice To Text Option And Couldn’t Get It To Stop
Image credits: genleiaorgana
#20 Set Up My Mom’s Updated TV System Yesterday
Image credits: GreasedLlama
#21 Here Is My Favorite Picture Of My Grandma. She Was Having A Hard Time With The Mixer
Image credits: Bungalowbeast
#22 Old People Youtube
Image credits: kevInquisition
#23 Found This On Facebook Marketplace And Can't Stop Thinking About It
Image credits: walterfilbert
#24 My Mom Had This Printed
Image credits: lskerlkse
#25 My Grandma Bought My Whole Family Masks - Not Only Do They Make You Look Like Underwear Hannibal Lecter, But They Also Have Holes Punched Through To Make It "Easier To Breathe"
Image credits: drewhead118
#26 My Wife's Grandpa Is Unsubscribing From Facebook
Image credits: Capnbubba
#27 My Father Made This Really Nice Landscaping In His Front Yard. And Then He Stood Back And Realized What He Had Done
Image credits: sxr326
#28 When My Grandfather Has To Log Into Facebook, He Creates A New Account Instead. Today Is His Birthday
Image credits: GuitaristHeimerz
#29 Hey, That's My Son
Image credits: iStigmatic
#30 My Grandmother Found A Lanyard For Her Keys
Image credits: thecmanfranklin
#31 My Grandmother Passed Down Her Recipes On A Floppy Disk
Image credits: Spdrcrv6tt
#32 My Mom Swore She Already Made Me A Waffle, But We Couldn’t Find It. So She Made Another One And I Grabbed A Fork
Image credits: FrustratedLemonPrint
#33 My Grandmother Had Some Kind Of Existential Facebook Crisis This Afternoon
Image credits: Stryfe2000Turbo
#34 John Cena Is Bigger Than Jesus
Image credits: amymcdade_x
#35 My Grandparents Were Waiting For Each Other At The Mall
Image credits: bigred1987
#36 My Grandpa Asked Why The Trail Mix Tasted So Bad
Image credits: karmaqueen_
#37 My Mother Made A Facebook Account And This Was Her First Message To Me
Image credits: Safferso
#38 Told My Dad To Grab The Sunscreen Before We Hit The Beach. Sit Down And He Hands Me This
Image credits: Delusions0fGrandeur
#39 Oh Dear, Dad Tried To Print A Video
Image credits: Tom_Sawyerer
#40 My Grandma Thought This Was A Cross So She Hung It Up. I Decided Not To Correct Her
Image credits: The_Man_Named______
#41 How My Mom Shops Online
Image credits: mbe8819
#42 My Friend Was At The Airport, And This Old French Woman Just Didn't Care
Image credits: djTrip9
#43 My Girlfriend's Grandma Thought The iPad Was A Cutting Board
Image credits: IonnaTrailer
#44 Me: "Grandma, I'd Like To Take A Picture Of Us". Activate Front-Facing Camera. Grandma: "Oh That's A Very Nice Picture, When Is That From?" Me: "That's Us Right Now"
Image credits: KONTRON613
#45 Went To China To Visit My Grandparents And Saw This Picture On Their Wall. They Thought It Meant Something Inspirational In English
Image credits: Dracolord1221
#46 My Mom Photocopies Recipes Off Of Her iPad
Image credits: devillius
#47 This Is What Happens When Your 2,088-Week-Old Mother Loves To Push Buttons In Her New Car
Image credits: rizabove
#48 Just Received This 6x4 Photo In The Mail From My Grandma
Image credits: echo9500
#49 My Friend's GF's Dad Sent Them An XXXXL Cutting Board For Their Housewarming By Mistake
Image credits: gwackr
#50 My Girlfriend's 79-Year-Old Grandpa Asked Us To Come Over On Easter So He Could Give Us Some Free Computers
Said he keeps getting them for donating. Said his garage is full of them.
Image credits: tek0011
#51 My Wife’s Grandma Likes To Buy Us Snacks Whenever She Goes To The Store So We Asked Her For Some Sour Cream And Onion Chips. We Were Amused By What She Came Back With
Image credits: spcmnspff335
#52 My Grandmother Politely Asked Me To Try And Not Leave My Condoms In Her House. I Think I Need To Politely Ask Grandma To Upgrade Her Prescription Glasses
Image credits: Jonny1992
#53 My Grandmother Was Having Problems With Her New Wired Keyboard. She Brought It With Her When She Visited. This Is What I Found
Image credits: Haikumagician
#54 Had To Explain My Grandmother That USB Stick Doesn't Need To Be Charged
Image credits: D4dyce
#55 Bryan No
Image credits: pluralizes
#56 Found This On Instagram
Image credits: 1203lg
#57 My Grandma Doesn't Believe I Am Who I Say I Am
Image credits: Higgles7
#58 My 93-Year-Old Grandma Has A Hard Time With Technology. Especially Her TV
Image credits: Paffmassa
#59 My Mom Kept Insisting Her Phone Had The “Grey Bar Of Death” When In Reality She Set A Screen Shot As Her Background
Image credits: BoaGirl
#60 Took A Peak At My Grandmother's iPhone Today. She Said She’s Been Getting This Reminder Everyday
Image credits: johnnybamboo
#61 My Grandma Printed Some Photos From Her Phone
Image credits: nerveendingstory
#62 My Grandfather Bought This Neck Massager Online. He Thinks It’s Interesting That This Model Is Also Waterproof
Image credits: johnderek182
#63 My Grandma Loves Her “Jesus” Statue
Image credits: jmonty156
#64 My Grandfather Is Trying To Measure 2 Terabytes = How Many Kilograms? I Am Not Able To Explain It
Image credits: webddss
#65 My 97-Year-Old Grandpa Is On Facebook. A Couple Of Years Ago He Liked A Photo Of Mine, So He Printed The Whole Page To Display It In His Home
Image credits: maddierose1418
#66 My Mom Created This Page While Trying To Find A Song On Spotify
Image credits: jimmyjohnhoward
#67 My Nana Posted Her First Story On Facebook
Image credits: bburroughs
#68 My 62-Year-Old Mother Just Got Her First Smartphone
Image credits: SuperDuperDani
#69 Went To My Parents' House The Other Day. My Dad Labeled His Phone
Image credits: McMilto
#70 My 83-Year-Old Grandma's First Attempt At A Selfie
Image credits: Foolish_guillemont
#71 I Got My 80-Year-Old Father This As A Gag Gift. When He Opened It, He Got All Embarrassed And Immediately Tucked It Away
Later, I privately asked him why he got all weird about it, and I found out that he was under the impression that it was a sex toy.
Image credits: PyroNecrophile
#72 So My Cat-Crazy Mother Figured Out How To Change The WiFi Name Today, Now My Neighbours Must Think We're Running A Brothel. Great
Image credits: Neuroapex
#73 Not Sure Which “Sturdy” Item She’s Referring Too?
Image credits: saltfreesailing
#74 My Grandpa's Profile Picture
Image credits: Thisnickname
#75 It's Her First Selfie
Image credits: FijiStreams
#76 Chad
Image credits: cnn
#77 A Woman On The Subway Printed Out 15 Pages Of Facebook Posts And Is Just Reading The Comments
Image credits: AlexSteinman
#78 My Grandpa's "Dual Monitor Setup" For Playing Windows 98 Solitaire
Image credits: lb_greater_than_rb
#79 My Grandpa’s Friend Sent Him This Picture And My Grandpa Decided To Print And Frame It, Thinking That It Was His Friends Dog
Image credits: crankycarrots
#80 So My Aunt Screenshotted Photos From Facebook And Got Them Printed At Walmart
Image credits: OutbackBrah
#81 This Is The Birthday Card My 18-Year-Old Sister Received From Our (Very) Loving Grandparents
Image credits: derebear
#82 Technologically Superior
Image credits: minidude22
#83 I Don't Think My Mom Understands How Her Rice Cooker Works
Image credits: Uedn
#84 My Mom Accidentally Printed Her Divorce Papers On Stickers
Image credits: lmhimes75
#85 When Mom Comes Over To Visit
Image credits: samadeeb
#86 My Dad After Realizing He Ate Half His Sandwich With The Wrapper On
Image credits: freepopper
#87 What I See When I Skype With My Grandparents
Image credits: stezzle
#88 I Spilled Water On My Phone And Asked My Grandfather To Put It In Rice To Dry It Out. He Thought I Meant To Cook It With Rice
Image credits: EthiopianChica
#89 My Friend's Mother Thought That The Croissants Would Just Roll Themselves Up While Cooking
Image credits: Papaspartan05
#90 My Mother Bought A Swing Set From Amazon. She Said This One Cost $17 The Other One Was $22
Image credits: WABSTA3
#91 My Grandpa's Girlfriend Got A Great Picture Of The Family On Father's Day
Image credits: TheAntiPoon
#92 Mother Has Only Been Retired Two Months And Has Resorted To Laminating Leaves
Image credits: _Euphemian_
#93 Set Up My Grandma's New Television Today
Image credits: MonteMidkiffin
#94 My Uncle Was Clueless
Image credits: wrenblaze
#95 My 87-Year-Old Grandmother Just Would Not Stop Talking About What A Nice Car This Was
Image credits: PrestigeMaster
#96 When My Grandmother Fills An SD Card On Her Camera, She Thinks It's Like A Roll Of Film And Puts The Old One In A Bag Until They're "Developed"
Image credits: arktnas
#97 Asked My Grandmother To Use Her Phone And Got This
Image credits: Logic2121
#98 My Grandpa Called Me Over To Install His Favourite Game On His New Laptop. Sorry Pops
Image credits: SomeDogNamedWinfield
#99 Cher Accidentally Turning On Night Mode And Nancy Sinatra Telling Her To Restart. Amazing
Image credits: terrorwill
#100 Someone Help This Poor Dog
Image credits: Austistic_Linguistix
#101 My Grandfather Using His iPad
Image credits: Eric2929
#102 My 70-Year-Old Grandma Gifted Me “Anime” Underwear For Christmas. Had To Explain That It’s Not Anime
Image credits: TheWrongDamnWolf
#103 I Don’t Think My Grandma Knows How Gift Cards Work
Image credits: spicy_m3m3s
#104 Asked My Dad Why He Was Reading Through The Camera App On His Phone. He Said He Wanted To See What It Would Be Like If I Had A Kindle
Image credits: borrow_a_feeling
#105 Grandma Replaced The PC Herself. "There's A Problem With The Internet Connection On The New One"
Image credits: JeppeRitz
#106 My 7-Year-Old Daughter Asked For Fingerless Gloves With Flowers On Them. Grandma Delivered
Image credits: I_Say_I_Say
#107 Grandma Joined Facebook, Set This As Her Profile Picture
Image credits: hamb0ne78
#108 My Great-Grandmother Wears This Sweater Every Year And Still Doesn't Know All Of The Meaning
Image credits: JackStetzer
#109 When Your Grandparents Write Omfg Instead Of "Our Most Favorite Grandson"
Image credits: iwouldratherbeoutside
#110 So I Asked My Grandparents If I Could Use Their Computer
Image credits: noirmatrix
#111 My Mom Unknowingly Bought A Bong For Her Crystal/Glass Collection. We Have No Intention Of Telling Her
Image credits: WizzlyG33
#112 My Mom Works At The Bank, Today An Elderly Couple Gave Her Microwaved Money, Thinking It Will Clean It From Coronavirus
Image credits: ronderon
#113 Should I Tell My Mom She's Supposed To Take The iPad Out Of The Box?
Image credits: FrederikTwn
#114 My Grandfather Came To Visit And "Fixed" All Our Furniture With This "Brown" Sharpie
Image credits: ricbalma
#115 My Father-In-Law Complained That His Work Is Forcing Him To Get An iPhone. This Is The Phone They're Making Him Get Rid Of
Image credits: _wetnap_
#116 My Mother Brought Back Some Pasta From Italy. Bears, Wheels, Shells, Trees, Twists, Stars, Bows, Honeycomb, Flowers And, And... What The Hell Is That?
Image credits: Another_Country
#117 My Mother Loves Her Plants
Image credits: compleKCity
#118 My GF's Mom Bought These For Her And She Couldn't Figure Out Why We Both Agreed They Couldn't Be Worn In Public
Image credits: MrNastysHempire
#119 I Really Enjoy Seeing My Grandmother On Skype
Image credits: seasaw14
#120 My Cousin Saw A 70-Year-Old Grandmother Open This Umbrella While Dropping Off Her Grandson At School
Image credits: monolife
#121 A Relative Utilizing This Festive Facebook Frame
Image credits: ChiefWahoooMcDaniels
#122 My Grandmother Used My PS2 As Her Iron Stand. RIP My Friend
Image credits: Nyrikki
#123 My Grandma Used Her Camera To Take A Picture Of My Son On Her iPad That I Sent Her Electronically, Then Sent It Back To Me In The Mail
Image credits: ghost86578657
#124 Thanksgiving Dinner-Zoom With Grandma And Grandpa
Image credits: ryati
#125 Not Sure If I Should Tell My Grandmother Or Not
Image credits: brentbph
#126 My 77-Year-Old Grandma Bought This In Las Vegas Because She Liked The Leaf On It
Image credits: Claudia_c17
#127 My Grandmother’s Screen Protector
Image credits: annaliz0
#128 My Grandma's Reaction When Opening Her Xmas Present: "Oh! A Baseball Machine!". No Grandma
Image credits: penguinspenguinswoo
#129 My Grandparents Figuring Out Their New iPhone
Image credits: mmmmmmmmichaelscott
#130 Went To Visit My Grandparents And Found They Framed A Selfie I Took
Image credits: starrstreet
#131 How We Fixed My 90-Year-Old Grandfather TV Problems
Image credits: jaimepasmonpseudo
#132 The Blind Leading The Blind, My 65-Year-Old Dad Shows My 73-Year-Old Father In Law, How To Use The Facebook
Image credits: oldstyle21
#133 My Father Told Me He Dropped His Coughdrop While Taking My Dog Out And Couldn’t Find It Anywhere
Image credits: MotorboatingSofaB
#134 My Mom Bought My 7-Month-Old Son A New Chair. She Has No Idea
Image credits: scubastza
#135 This Must Technically Count. My Aunt Just Took A Screenshot
Image credits: soju_b
#136 Got My Grandmother A Skype Account So She Could Talk To Her Sister-In-Law Up In Canada. They've Been Like This For An Hour
Image credits: Glitch247
#137 She Has No Idea
Image credits: elsewhere1
#138 My Grandmother Got Me This Because She Said She Knows I Like Listening To Music
Image credits: Chris56789
#139 Walked In On My Mother Scanning Her Phone. She Just Wanted To Print Out Recipe Instructions For My Grandmother
Image credits: scudsburtango
#140 My Grandma Bought Me A Texting Book Of Acronyms For Christmas. She Was 100% Serious About This Being How People Talk Online
Image credits: princessDB
#141 My Grandma Just Asked Me Why Isn’t The Phone Working. It’s Been Dead
Image credits: SnackWrapz
#142 My Mother Just Informed Me Amazon Delivered My Harmonica
Image credits: MidnightQ_
#143 My Grandpa Picked Up Sewing As A Hobby, This Is His First Mask
Image credits: OLebta
from Bored Panda https://bit.ly/3sz8eSB
via Boredpanda
