I’m cracking up with laughter as we speak because I am having an MSN conversation with my mum.

Why do the older generations have such difficulty in dealing with the complexities (!) that is MSN? Actually, let’s extend that a bit further: why do the older generations have such difficulties using PCs?!?

Many of them use the fact that they didn’t have computers when they were our age, they’re too old to learn, blah blah blah, but I reckon they’re just lazy or too scared of looking stupid.

I’ll give some examples. My mum knows how to use a computer, but only at work. I have tried to teach her how to use the computer at home, but because it works differently to the one at work, she doesn’t have the confidence to use the computer at home without my dad or sister around. Weird! I’ve recently persuaded her to speak to me via MSN on a Sunday, as she normally rings me on the minicom. We all know how ancient minicoms are, and I hate using mine, so I was quite pleased when mum agreed to use MSN instead.

However, today, she’s had me in stitches, because she specifically said to me (after having a few conversations on MSN) that I’m not allowed to type too much (I’m rather prone to typing more than one particular related or unrelated topics in any given minute, which renders my mum utterly confused!), and that from now I can only type one-liners and I have to type GA when I’ve finished i.e. like a minicom conversation!! For example:

After a bit, mum’s computer disconnected, so she was befuddled once again, and then she tried to ring me on the old minicom (argh!), but that didn’t work either, so eventually we agreed (via sms) to give up!

There’s Rachel’s parents too – they’re both deaf and they don’t know how to use a PC, which is a shame as this would mean they’d be able to contact people via email and MSN, which will be especially important when Rachel moves out to live with me!

Why do older generations find it so difficult to cope with? It’s so perplexing!