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50 Of The Funniest Times That Old People Failed At Using Something Correctly
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‘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!
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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"
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.
To get some insights on why it’s important for all ages to use the internet, I spoke to Kascha Cassaday, one of the co-founders of 'Cyber Seniors'. Their company provides free training and technology support for senior citizens from tech-savvy student volunteers.
Kascha told Bored Panda, “The pandemic proved more than ever the importance of being tech literate. As we were all stuck at home, we relied on video calls to decrease social isolation. As seniors age and their mobility decreases, technology will keep them independent and connected.”
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.
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.
Here Is My Favorite Picture Of My Grandma. She Was Having A Hard Time With The Mixer
My Grandfather Got This Tie For Free In The '90s And Wears It To Every Passover Seder
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 staying connected with family and friends or checking out the latest fun stuff on Bored Panda, there’s plenty of joy to be had.
My Uncle Using His Flashlight To Brighten Up My Dads iPad Screen
Grandpa Went To Get His Passport Photos Done But Pressed The Wrong Button
There's no need to have anything other that passport photos in those booths
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.
My Dad Likes Reading So I Got Him A Kindle For His Birthday. He's Using It As A Bookmark
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
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.
I asked Kascha why this is. She said, “In the beginning, seniors tend to struggle with everything, from how to use a mouse to different tech terms. Words like, ‘apps’, ‘data’, or ‘wifi’ can be foreign to them. But if they are determined to learn, they will. The only reason they don’t is fear of failure or feeling frustrated because no one is taking the time to teach them."
My Mother Made A Facebook Account And This Was Her First Message To Me
My Grandma Thought This Was A Cross So She Hung It Up. I Decided Not To Correct Her
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.”
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.
My Grandma, An Avid Gardener, Has Been Wearing This Mask For Weeks. The Checkout Lady At The Store Today Explained It To Her
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.”
My Grandpa Asked Why The Trail Mix Tasted So Bad
My Grandpa Doesn’t Trust His New Roomba So He’s Been Following It Around
Haven't Found My Fisheye Lens For Weeks. My Mom Used It As A Clipper
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!
My Father Made This Really Nice Landscaping In His Front Yard. And Then He Stood Back And Realized What He Had Done
My Friend Was At The Airport, And This Old French Woman Just Didn't Care
My Mom Accidentally Printed Her Divorce Papers On Stickers
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"
When Mom Comes Over To Visit
This Is What Happens When Your 2,088-Week-Old Mother Loves To Push Buttons In Her New Car
"Mom, it was a 100-degree August day five minutes ago. This is what happens when you press the wrong combination of buttons!"
My Grandma’s Friend Used The Voice To Text Option And Couldn’t Get It To Stop
Given the current rate of modernization we might find ourselves in a far worse situation trying to keep up with tech
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
Trying To Explain To The 70-Year-Old Swiss Man Who Offered To Take Our Pic That His Finger Was Covering The Lens
Great picture actually. One you'll never forget! Even better if you trim a little: aaa-611f55...7d52f2.jpg 
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
My Grandmother Had Some Kind Of Existential Facebook Crisis This Afternoon
My Mother Got Embarrassed When She "Found My Girlfriends Panties" On Our Kitchen Table
When You Choose An Inappropriate Background To Break The Bad News
My Dad Gave Me This Picture For Christmas
Found This On Facebook Marketplace And Can't Stop Thinking About It
Cher Accidentally Turning On Night Mode And Nancy Sinatra Telling Her To Restart. Amazing
My Grandfather Bought This Neck Massager Online. He Thinks It’s Interesting That This Model Is Also Waterproof
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.
Went To China To Visit My Grandparents And Saw This Picture On Their Wall. They Thought It Meant Something Inspirational In English
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.
Wrong Emoji
My mom sent the same emoji when my grandmother was passing. I had to explain it to her. She'd already sent it to the entire family.
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
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.
Pictures just sit there on your phone and don't remind you of s**t unless you remember to look at them
When My Grandfather Has To Log Into Facebook, He Creates A New Account Instead. Today Is His Birthday
Old People Youtube
Note: this post originally had 143 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
How about a reverse view looking at young people faced with figuring out items used regularly by their elders in their everyday lives?
Oh there are great clips of kids guessing what old appliances were used for, I love some of the random ideas they have ^-^
There's a video of 2 kids figuring out how to use a rotary phone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HyyAlcoUXo&t=5s
I have an old rotary phone in our basement wall that is still connected. My nephews were fascinated and I would have to hold them up so they could call their grandparents.
Like a LAPTOP. I’m 64 and get tired of young people who only know smartphones. I have to explain things to THEM.
Or just young people in general not being able to figure out basic things that are common today. In my experience (and I'm thinking mainly in my career, where I've worked with people of a range of ages), while I have come across a fair few older people not understanding x, y or z, I've had the "wha... How can you not know how... I can't even!" feeling far more with younger people (say, early 20s). Not a criticism of younger people - you'd expect more of younger people as they lack experience - and I'll be the first to hold my hand up to how dumb I was in my early 20s!
Exactly! Like how to download and install a program on a computer, for example. I often have to help people 40 years younger than me, and have never had to ask them anything.
It's true. I had to teach tech to teenagers recently and most of them know how to use a smartphone but NOT a computer - anything at all.
Weird, my 8 yo is pretty computer literate (not, like, more than me, but certainly basically proficient). It's not exactly a lost art.
Or current technology. I know some 20 year old luddites
Our work phones are flip phones. I handed mine to my 19yo trainee and asked him to call the boss. He looked at it, looked at me, and asked "How does it work?" I had to show him how to push physical buttons. No joke.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
If an old person can't use modern technology, that's a problem. That's a failure to stay with the times. If a young person can't use obsolete technology... so what? They don't need to. How many times in their lives will a 20-something need to use a rotary dial phone? How many times will a 70-something need to use a mobile phone? This argument falls flat.
Just remember some of these people grew up without having electricity without having a phone without having TV…I think they’re all doing great and I think the people who posted here I’d be exceptionally grateful that they have loving people in their lives.
No actually they're not that old. Electricity became very common in very early 20th century. We live in 2021, even a centennial was born after electricy became mainstream. Phone and TV were also common for someone in their late 70s, early 80s. And even with that, it's fine to prioritize what you think is important to know. My grandmother would be 111 now and she was all into everything new. She was always the first in her family to try new things, color TV, vaccuum, washer, because she just loved that development. And later on, she still liked new stuff. Too bad she died before modern communication tech like mobile phones, tablets etc became very accessible. She would have loved it. My mom loved it too, but her eye sight deteriorated in the last 10 years and she just chose not to care about it and enjoy the things that she thought were actually important.
There are still areas of so called developed countries, including Australia, that are not serviced with electricity, mobile phone or internet.
Most of Australia does have those things, excluding the uninhabited desert in the middle of the country. I suggest possibly researching a little next time
Having actually lived in Australia most of my life, 11 years in Tasmania without electricity and only radio phone I am speaking from experience.
My dad was born in 1935 and their house didn't have electricity until he was in his early teens. He lived in a rural area of the USA on a farm. They used kerosene lanterns and candles for lighting and used a hand pump to pump water from a well. He said that pumping for the family cooking wasn't too bad, but pumping to fill the cattle troughs took forever. He loved the internet and thought it was amazing, he typed with 2 fingers so couldn't send long emails, but he loved to search for things online, especially anything having to do with vintage tractors.
I live in New England (US). I've spoken to people from northern New Hampshire and Maine who didn't have electricity until the early 1960s. Phones came even later.
Yes, in the '60 in the south too no electricity, no indoor plumbing in some places.
My ex-mother-in-law was born in 1935 (still alive) She was born in North Carolina-deep woods. She didn't see her first television til she was in her 20s and it was through a gas station window. She was in a house without electricity til she was almost a teen and still used an out house til then.
Well, smarty pants, just because it was available doesn't mean they had it. Plus, so much of that stuff is useless. Why learn it?
I'm 56 and grew up in the Appalachian Mountains, we had electricity, my grandparents didn't and none of us had a phone or TV. Not until my late teens and then it was just a TV. My friends parents had a phone but it was a party line, you had to pick up the phone and if another person was on it you'd wait until they were off. Everyone packed water from a spring and had an out house. Bathed in the kitchen in a big metal tub..just because something was invented doesn't mean that Everyone had it.
I lived in a country town in Australia that had no electricity until 1976 and we got our first phone at home in 1974 ... please don't generalise because of your own experiences.
Bruh. My mom existed before internet and im 18. My dude has a point.
Now this is HILARIOUS! Are you serious? My parents, gone now, were born in 1926 and grew up with all of those things.
Right on, Mazer. Loved seeing all your positive comments on the pics, too. Made me smile. Hope you have a fantabulous day!
I like the sense of humour, too.
Positivity doesn't make up for ignorance. Bleh.
No worries, Rissie, I appreciated your TED Talk, too. We all have our moments of ignorance, but if someone is open to learning, that sounds very positive to me. ;)
So I guess you must predate modern education, where we learn about things like the timeline of scientific and technological advancements involving electricity? Seems you're the oldest person to ever live. Neat.
Hah, oh, let's not go down that rabbit hole. I have a game called "timeline" and as a technology literate person and someone interested in the history of science and technology, it's still surprisingly difficult to place a lot of things, and the invention and common use of many things can be less than a year or more than a decade apart.
You will be old some day...
Yes, and I hope they are NOT ridiculed like this.
The day young people stop ridiculing their elders will be the same day that seniors stop trash talking "kids these days." On another note, most of these posts weren't ridiculing anyone. The posts were expressing how wholesome their parents and grandparents can be.
They can make fun of me though. I don't mind.
They're just posting what happened. It is up to personal interpretation to find these people ridiculous or not....
Are they getting ridiculed? Or are we simply laughing at the silly things?
I do not see these posts as ridiculing. I think they were from people who love their parents and grandparents and are looking to help them with all the new stuff.
Personally, I'm hoping they get a heavy dose of karma.
Not necessarily, some people die young lol
How about a reverse view looking at young people faced with figuring out items used regularly by their elders in their everyday lives?
Oh there are great clips of kids guessing what old appliances were used for, I love some of the random ideas they have ^-^
There's a video of 2 kids figuring out how to use a rotary phone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HyyAlcoUXo&t=5s
I have an old rotary phone in our basement wall that is still connected. My nephews were fascinated and I would have to hold them up so they could call their grandparents.
Like a LAPTOP. I’m 64 and get tired of young people who only know smartphones. I have to explain things to THEM.
Or just young people in general not being able to figure out basic things that are common today. In my experience (and I'm thinking mainly in my career, where I've worked with people of a range of ages), while I have come across a fair few older people not understanding x, y or z, I've had the "wha... How can you not know how... I can't even!" feeling far more with younger people (say, early 20s). Not a criticism of younger people - you'd expect more of younger people as they lack experience - and I'll be the first to hold my hand up to how dumb I was in my early 20s!
Exactly! Like how to download and install a program on a computer, for example. I often have to help people 40 years younger than me, and have never had to ask them anything.
It's true. I had to teach tech to teenagers recently and most of them know how to use a smartphone but NOT a computer - anything at all.
Weird, my 8 yo is pretty computer literate (not, like, more than me, but certainly basically proficient). It's not exactly a lost art.
Or current technology. I know some 20 year old luddites
Our work phones are flip phones. I handed mine to my 19yo trainee and asked him to call the boss. He looked at it, looked at me, and asked "How does it work?" I had to show him how to push physical buttons. No joke.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
If an old person can't use modern technology, that's a problem. That's a failure to stay with the times. If a young person can't use obsolete technology... so what? They don't need to. How many times in their lives will a 20-something need to use a rotary dial phone? How many times will a 70-something need to use a mobile phone? This argument falls flat.
Just remember some of these people grew up without having electricity without having a phone without having TV…I think they’re all doing great and I think the people who posted here I’d be exceptionally grateful that they have loving people in their lives.
No actually they're not that old. Electricity became very common in very early 20th century. We live in 2021, even a centennial was born after electricy became mainstream. Phone and TV were also common for someone in their late 70s, early 80s. And even with that, it's fine to prioritize what you think is important to know. My grandmother would be 111 now and she was all into everything new. She was always the first in her family to try new things, color TV, vaccuum, washer, because she just loved that development. And later on, she still liked new stuff. Too bad she died before modern communication tech like mobile phones, tablets etc became very accessible. She would have loved it. My mom loved it too, but her eye sight deteriorated in the last 10 years and she just chose not to care about it and enjoy the things that she thought were actually important.
There are still areas of so called developed countries, including Australia, that are not serviced with electricity, mobile phone or internet.
Most of Australia does have those things, excluding the uninhabited desert in the middle of the country. I suggest possibly researching a little next time
Having actually lived in Australia most of my life, 11 years in Tasmania without electricity and only radio phone I am speaking from experience.
My dad was born in 1935 and their house didn't have electricity until he was in his early teens. He lived in a rural area of the USA on a farm. They used kerosene lanterns and candles for lighting and used a hand pump to pump water from a well. He said that pumping for the family cooking wasn't too bad, but pumping to fill the cattle troughs took forever. He loved the internet and thought it was amazing, he typed with 2 fingers so couldn't send long emails, but he loved to search for things online, especially anything having to do with vintage tractors.
I live in New England (US). I've spoken to people from northern New Hampshire and Maine who didn't have electricity until the early 1960s. Phones came even later.
Yes, in the '60 in the south too no electricity, no indoor plumbing in some places.
My ex-mother-in-law was born in 1935 (still alive) She was born in North Carolina-deep woods. She didn't see her first television til she was in her 20s and it was through a gas station window. She was in a house without electricity til she was almost a teen and still used an out house til then.