Humorist and diehard New Yorker Fran Lebowitz rejects most technology. She does have a phone though, albeit not smart. “The telephone is a good way to talk to people,” Lebowitz observes, “without having to offer them a drink.”
Clearly a useful device and one that has undergone a tectonic shift over the years. “Growing up, our black desk phone was a party line, shared with another family down the block,” recalls Bob Brodfuehrer, 77. “I finally convinced my parents that for a few dollars more we could have our own line.” He also remembers the family’s 1950s television set. “Back then, who could imagine a 60-inch, flat-screen TV?”
A career in telecommunications gave Brodfuehrer a bird’s-eye view of changing technologies and how they shaped our lives. “Smartphones allow you to call and text and send pictures anywhere in the world. GPS tells you where you are and how to get where you’re going, search engines and the web puts the world’s knowledge at your fingertips,” he says. “What’s next? Artificial intelligence with all its possibilities and liabilities.”
Mary Bicknell has also seen head-spinning technical advances in her 92 years. Born in Northamptonshire, England, she became a teacher in decidedly low-tech classrooms. “We used things like slide projectors,” she recalls. “Report cards were made out by hand. Computers were just coming in when I left teaching, so I never had to learn to use them in class.”
However, Bicknell fully embraced tech for her personal use. She relies on the latest iPhone 16 to send texts, emails, and take photographs. Her computer is an iPad and keyboard. With that she takes online Zumba classes, keeps in touch with a ukulele group, and downloads books. “I’m most proud of creating a family history on my iPad: researching, writing, typing it up. I’m working on volume two now,” she says.
The one thing Bicknell rarely does is shop online. “I like to go into a store, browse around, talk to a real person.” As for eye-popping tech on the horizon, Bicknell is unimpressed. “I don’t particularly want to learn something new.”
Should she change her mind, there are ample ways to explore what’s new. One of the best is Senior Planet from AARP. “We harness technology to change how we age and thrive in a digital world,” says Tom Kamber, executive director of the organization. It offers in-person classes at four Senior Planet centers and partner sites across 35 states (not currently in Washington), as well as dozens of free, online courses covering everything from tech to tai chi. And it’s done with flair. “If you sound like an engineer, fewer people want to come,” he says, “so we design compelling, engaging programs for people, to embrace opportunities that can reshape their lives.”
Kamber hopes this community will reshape the very future of aging. “The biggest affliction we face is age discrimination and segregation. Tech historically exacerbates the problem,” he says. “We can turn the corner on all of that.”
For Sandra Driscoll, 73, technology is nothing less than a tool for survival. Once a driven, ambitious attorney, her life and career were upended at the age of 40 when she lost much of her eyesight due to complications from diabetes. “My use of technology was entirely shaped by the changes in my vision. I had to throw myself into whatever technology existed at the time if I wanted to stay independent and be part of the world.”
Software that enhances the size of print on her computer remains a big help. “Audio books were essential because I couldn’t read otherwise,” Driscoll says. Although selections in the ‘90s were not extensive, technology expanded her choices exponentially. “Now I can download hundreds of books, podcasts, and music on a device the size of a deck of cards.”
Smartphones are a major upgrade. “Huge,” Driscoll says, pointing to an app that uses the camera to describe surroundings or objects. Lyft and Uber apps keep her mobile, and as someone who loved to drive, Driscoll might one day do it again in an autonomous vehicle summoned to her doorstep.
Tech innovations gave 63-year-old Amy Bowers her entire career. “I’m a computer programmer. I write code for a website and it’s always changing,” she says. “I remember when I had to carry 18-inch tapes to client sites then upload changes to the computer. Now I send it via the Internet.” To stay current, the Sunnyvale, Calif., resident constantly adapts. “I work hard at learning new technology, including computer languages. I don’t want to fall behind.” Not likely. As she nears retirement, Bowers looks forward to the next big thing. “I’m full-on Star Trek,” she says. “Beam me up and flying cars!”
Not so farfetched when you consider that science fiction now routinely, and at warp speed, becomes science fact. To paraphrase another Star Trek truism, we will go where no one has gone before.
Connie McDougall is a former news reporter and current freelance writer of nonfiction and personal essays. A lifelong student and proud English major, she has pursued lessons in flying, scuba diving, tai chi, Spanish, meditation, hiking, and Zumba.