Not everyone was born Steve Jobs. In a world ruled by technology and social media, many people find themselves struggling to keep up with increasingly elaborate electronics. The elderly are taking tips from their “tech-savvy kids,” and our moms are figuring out how to upload Instagram stories, which is both a bless… I mean, a curse, really.
But hey, who am I to judge when there are still some people who are so clueless about seemingly basic tech things like chargers, ad blockers, and electric kettles? Bored Panda has compiled a painfully cringy list of some of the most absurd fails in the land of electronics that will make tech ed classics great again.
After you're done reading this post, be sure to check out our previous lists with the worst software fails, older people struggling with technology, and tech support people sharing the nightmare fails they've encountered.
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“The Printer Isn’t Working”
Technician: Problem in paper transport from paper tray due to loading paper in a non-standard way. Repair costs: $250.
This Is How My Auntie Blocks Ads From Her Computer Screen
Oh, Dear, Dad Tried To Print A Video
With so many people still struggling with technology and electronics that have all become part of our daily lives in recent decades, we can’t help but wonder what went wrong. Should we blame technology education classes nobody looked at seriously? Or is it really a lack of patience when it comes to learning new things? Maybe society itself has left out the older generation, which has become separated due to its failure to employ new technological modes of communication and life?
Experts have many reasons for the phenomenon, but most agree that by creating innovation and pushing tech to its very potential, we have created new problems on the way. For example, Larry Masinter, an internet pioneer, said: “Technology and social innovation intended to overcome the negatives of the digital age will likely cause additional negative consequences. Examples include: the decentralized web, end-to-end encryption, AI and machine learning, social media.”
Meanwhile, Peter Lunenfeld, a professor of design, media arts, and digital humanities at the University of California, Los Angeles, predicts that solutions to these newly emerged problems will create new issues, and we may end up in a vicious loop. “We will use technology to solve the problems the use of technology creates, but the new fixes will bring new issues,” he stated.
End User Had A Heater Next To The PC Which Was Randomly Shutting Off And She Thought She Had Smelled Burning A Couple Of Times. It Is Literally Screaming
My Girlfriend's Grandma Thought The iPad Was A Cutting Board
Technologically Superior
Holy s**t balls, I decided to count how many tabs I have open and I am up to 94. How the hell did I manage that lol.
According to the chief technology officer of RAD Data Communications, Yaakov J. Stein, the problem lays in our total dependence on the tech world. “The problem is that we are becoming more and more dependent on machines and hence more susceptible to bugs and system failures.”
There are other things inherently flawed in technological advancements, and it has to do with concerning amounts of their exploitation for the wrong purposes. According to a Pew Research report, “Numerous experts described misinformation and fake news as a serious issue in digital spaces. They expressed concern over how users will sort through fact and fiction in the coming decade.”
Yet, many experts believe that it's simply too late to take a step back in the tech world. Our lives have changed beyond recognition thanks to the internet and technology, in many ways for the better. It has made our time more efficient, our jobs more productive, our lives somewhat easier and more intuitive. And in accepting its good features, we may well have to accept its flaws.
Some Karen Raged Into The Apple Store And Asked For A Refund For Her iPhone 5. I Didn’t Listen To The Convo But When I Walked Past I Heard The Manager Asked Her If She Charged It, She Said No
Yes, because tech guys are never snarky or condescending when interacting with neophytes.
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Omg, I've dealt with those people. I had a old lady complain that her DVD burner wasn't recording in color. And she installed a lot of lights so there should be color. And it won't play DVDs so she wants a DVD player. Her grandson hooked it all up. Fished a naked DVD out of her purse. Couldn't understand that she must have bought black and white only cameras, no color info to be recorded. And her grandson either didn't plug the DVD burner into the TV input or she didn't change the input correctly. She should ask her grandson to help. She asked to talk to a boy... Who then sold her a $100 DVD player she didn't need...
Is "Karen" just an insult for any woman who upsets you in some way for not being submissive enough?
Karen is the name that my parents thought about long and hard before naming me. They thought it was beautiful. I do not call managers, I do not call the police randomly on innocent people simply birdwatching or sitting on a bench. But god forbid I buy something defective and try to bring it back to a store. The harassment I'm subjected to because I need to return something is unbelievable.
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I like you Louloubelle. But if you keep on asking people to stop using Karen as an insult, then they'll just call you a Karen. It'll die out pretty soon.
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My mom is 79 and she handles the iPhone like a pro. I mean updates, new phones, etc. Sad to see this lady.
iPhone5?? So she didn’t charge a phone that came out like five years ago?
“Entitled and irrational” to describe a person is just two words more and it’s not that hard to use instead of someone’s name.
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I'm thinking that "charge" refers to re charging the item, not whether she paid cash or not!
thanx for your patience! you do a great job! Elderly people are catching up in their own bubble. so if they have no younger relatives, must be real bad if you cannot help yourself.
5% chance she aplogized and laughed about it. its somehow still someone else's fault.
Why doesn't it just pull the electricity out of the air? Its supposed to be wireless, isnt it????
Helps Karen love!..Impressed by the look on the face of the fellow in the purple..his expression says all
What made her a Karen and not just an older person that was not tech savvy?
No wonder the guy in the red shirt is bowing his head in disbelief 🤣
...And the three of them are still standing there and arguing up to this day.
when was this, if it was recently, it was even worse, I don't think those are even worth $10, recently tried to get a new phone, and needed $50 of phones, and I think we had a 6, 4, and 2 galaxy s7
@Louloubelle-don't be a(your name). Maybe you can't help it...kindly f**k off:).
You’re doing the equivalent of telling someone who was behaving rationally before to “calm down.” FYI: I can tell you she kept it short and simple before, but the bullying and dismissing of her experience has escalated in her personal life and in the online comments. Frankly, if you’re going to insult someone, there are more creative ways than using a lazy reference. Entitled and irrational woman are just three words more.
Load More Replies... Please stop calling unruly women Karens. This is extremely offensive to those who don't behave like this Karen person. Would you like to have your 1st name used as an insult!? Think also of little girls or teenagers named Karen being bullied at school or in their neighborhood because of their 1st name. All of you using this name as an insult I say sham on you. Maybe you all who do such are or were bullies at school. Growing up it is never to late to became a kind person.
Unruly people* it, (along with Kevin) is used for men, too. And I can’t say that I know any Karen’s being bullied for their name, because it’s a term applied to jerks on the internet, the Karen I know is actually very sweet, so I’d say it’s more of a stereotype for Americans in general, like we have our own, such as Canadians being nice, it’s a general term, but isn’t applicable in every case.
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She misunderstood the tech, why must that make her a despised fictional punching bag? OP must feel soooo superior with the casual discriminatory summation of strangers.
If you misunderstand tech, you ask somebody politely. You do not go into a shop and demand a refund on something because it won't work. That is why she's a Karen
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@Imtiredandiwannagotobed: my name's not Karen and i think it's bullying at it's peak. But plz, tell me more :)
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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
My Dad Says, “Google Is Doing This Stupid Thing Where The Blur The Top Left Part Of The Results. Facebook Is Doing It Too Actually.” He Melted The Top Left Corner Of His Screen
Student Uses Light On Phone To Charge Portable Solar Battery So That He Can Charge His Phone
... when there is a USB port literally right there on the side of the laptop!
I Decided To Upgrade To An Electric Kettle This Week, A Detail I Remembered As It Burst Into Flames On The Gas Stove
Should I Tell My Mom She's Supposed To Take The iPad Out Of The Box?
I Set Up A Lock Screen App That Takes A Photo If You Put The Password In Wrong Trying To Catch My Daughter On My Phone. I've Only Caught Myself So Far Mostly First Thing In The Morning
I Couldn’t Find My Phone But It Was Connected To The Bluetooth So I Figured It Was Somewhere In... Or Out Of The Car
iPhone X That Came Into The Shop Today. Customer Said “I’ve Never Dropped It In Water”
My Dad's Way Of Transferring Pictures
Saw My Mom's Phone, And Investigated. She Used The Screen Protector's Throwaway Film Instead Of The Actual Screen Protector
I Need Somewhere To Set This Candle. Oh Here’s A Good Spot
My Mother-In-Law Keeps Complaining That Her Kindle Wouldn’t Charge
Dad Accidentally Turned Off Keyboard Backlighting And Couldn’t See The Keys
My Professor Got Bored In Class So She Went On Facebook. She Really Didn't Seem To Notice Her Laptop Was Still Connected To The Projector
While I was doing online school my teacher said us to get on with the work, but forgot to stop presenting her screen and started typing to some people over Messenger.
Nothing Like Pulling Out A Warm Pillow Out Of The Dryer Right Before Bedtime
Don't Ask Me
I like my marshmallows without any creases! Flat marshmallows is the way to go!
Customer Brought In This iMac For Not Powering On. This Is How He Apparently Uses It
For further context: I'm 99% sure the customer has been running his iMac with the shipping plastic in place since 2015, including on the bottom covering the vents, as there's airflow patterns of dust and certain areas where the plastic has melted/deformed; note the scotch tape ON the plastic covering the camera.
EDIT: Just called the customer and asked/confirmed the plastic has been in place; "I guess that's why I hear the fans ramp up!" And he wants to keep the plastic in place, lol. But I got him to agree to at least let me clip the bottom portion so it no longer wraps around the vents.
Wondered Why One Of My Earbuds Wasn't Going In The Charging Case
My Sister Was Putting On Her Make Up In Front Of A Window And The Mirror She Was Using Burnt A Hole In Her Screen
Ok that could be an honest mistake, but I'm sure she still felt really silly!
Ripped Off What I Thought Was Protective Plastic From A New Monitor. It Was The Polarizing Film
I Was Really Pleased To Find That My Left-Behind Charger Had Arrived In The Mail. Because I Am My Own Worst Enemy, I Hastily Opened The Package With Scissors
My Dad Photocopied His Phone To Use A Money Off Voucher
Candle Was Super Fragrant Last Night. Now I Know Why
Customer Came In With His iPhone, His Glass Cracked, He Thought He Could Peel Off The Glass So He Wouldn't Notice The Crack Anymore
Found Out My Toaster Can Work As A Timer, Even When Not Plugged In. Now I Have To Wait Another 20 Minutes To Find Out How Good These Fish Sticks Are
Manual timers tend to be spring loaded, not electrical. Just like a wind-up clock.
"But I Like It This Way, It's Convenient" - My Tech Savvy Aunt
Thermostat Had Hardly Worked All Winter, A Friend Suggested I Open It And Look For A Switch
Xerox Fault Error 072-210
Obviously Scatterbrained Today, I Put A Laundry Detergent Pod In The Dishwasher
You can make up for it by putting a dishwasher tab in the laundry. Job done!
Brother Couldn’t Figure Out Why His Wi-Fi Signal Was Terrible
Just Found Out Why My Mom's Laptop Wasn’t Charging
Broken Clip? No Problem
And next they'll complain that their network connection is so effing slow.
If You Spill Acetone On Your Table, Make Sure You Clean It All Up
"It's Hard To Hear People Unless I'm On Speakerphone"
My Mom Using A Magnifying Glass To See My Phone Better. Love Her To Death But She's Not The Best With Technology
Girlfriend Turned The New Iron On Without Checking The Bottom. She Turned It Into A Boiling Plastic Spreader
Spent 10 Minutes Looking For The Drip Tray For The Forman Grill, After I Turned It On
I Can’t Figure Out How To Get On To Netflix
Hey I have that remote! You can also press the button between Netflix and Amazon to show you your entire array of apps.
My Sister Unplugged My 3D Printer With Only A Few Layers Left On This 20 Hour Print
You didn't have a sign "Do not disconnect this plug"? ( Wouldn't have changed a thing though...)
My Wife Washed My USB Drive Because It Was "Sticky"
My Mom Didn't Know How To Take A Screenshot So She Improvised With The Scanner
My Dad Didn’t Realize You Could Screen Record Videos
Maybe the version of the phone doesn't have built in screen record ?
iPhone 12 Pro Cracked In Under 6 Hours Of Owning
They are designed to crack! How else would they get you to buy over-priced accessories and a new phone after 6 months or one year?
Note: this post originally had 90 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
I'm amazed at how many people keep flames and other hot things on and around their expensive tech.
Some of the people on this post made some pretty horrible comments...
They really really didn't. Some people think they've a right to 'cover comments' that are perfectly fine. Who do you actually think you are? The upvote down vote buttons are there for people to express their opinions on comments. They don't need you and your juvenile friends making out you're doing some kind of service to people when you attempt to censor comments. All you actually do is make people go look for them to see what they were. I hate to think how easily you're offended in real life. It's not healthy.
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It's a good thing parents don't make fun of their children when they are learning to walk or talk or eat or tie their shoes or USE THE TOILET!!!
Some of us don't know how to do things like take screen shots on a phone or other things like that. I have noticed that we are expected to automatically KNOW a lot of stuff when handed a new piece of tech, no one shows us, we are not given instructions.
I used to work right next to the IT department at my last job. There was a guy they dealt with who didn't know how to use paint to edit images, so he would screenshot, print, then manually draw/write/tipex out any changes and then scan it back in lol
I'm amazed at how many people keep flames and other hot things on and around their expensive tech.
Some of the people on this post made some pretty horrible comments...
They really really didn't. Some people think they've a right to 'cover comments' that are perfectly fine. Who do you actually think you are? The upvote down vote buttons are there for people to express their opinions on comments. They don't need you and your juvenile friends making out you're doing some kind of service to people when you attempt to censor comments. All you actually do is make people go look for them to see what they were. I hate to think how easily you're offended in real life. It's not healthy.
Load More Replies... It's a good thing parents don't make fun of their children when they are learning to walk or talk or eat or tie their shoes or USE THE TOILET!!!
Some of us don't know how to do things like take screen shots on a phone or other things like that. I have noticed that we are expected to automatically KNOW a lot of stuff when handed a new piece of tech, no one shows us, we are not given instructions.
I used to work right next to the IT department at my last job. There was a guy they dealt with who didn't know how to use paint to edit images, so he would screenshot, print, then manually draw/write/tipex out any changes and then scan it back in lol
