There are many seniors who have a fear of computers and technology in general. This is rather common and is not something that a person should be ashamed of. The reason for this fear is simple. The person who fears this technology does not understand what it does, how to work these machines and they may find that their minds run overtime trying to figure out what these machines are capable of. It is not uncommon for those who are afraid of technology to believe that these machines are going to be the end of humanity as we know it. This type of fear can be cured, and slowly a person can start to overcome this fear.

Step 1: Understand Technology

The more you know about something, the more you are going to feel comfortable with it. So allow a sales person or a family member to tell you what these pieces of technology do and show you how they work. Through understanding the technology better, you are going to be less fearful.

Step 2: Try it Out

Try out those pieces of technology that you see out. It doesn’t matter if you cannot control it like someone who is younger, but having the interest in the technology is enough to get you started into seeing what all can be accomplished with these pieces of technology. For example, if you are in a store, mess around with an e-reader to see what it is capable of. You never know when you are going to run across something that could make your life easier. Probably the easiest “new” piece of technology you should try would be a tablet computer. These are really easy to use and there isn’t a lot of complicated software to learn or understand. You can see our analysis of several different tablets, specifically appropriate for an older person, here.

Step 3: Commit

After understanding and trying out various pieces of technology, consider committing to getting to know technology better through owning some of this for yourself. This can be something as simple as getting a new cell phone, or something major like learning how to use a top of the line computer or something. However, this is going to be a step that you may never meet. Some seniors despite the fact that they understand and do mess around with a few pieces of technology often never want to commit since they do not really see the purpose of having this for themselves.

You are going to find that if you have a fear of technology, how long it takes you to get over this fear really depends on how hard you push yourself. However, if you start to feel overwhelmed, step back and then start again another day. Having someone younger who is a tech lover can make it easier on you since they can explain things, show you how to utilize certain technology pieces with ease, and basically help you understand harder concepts since they know when you may question things.

There is no reason for anyone to be scared of technology. Yes, it may be something new, but it is also exciting, and a person should not miss out on how the world is changing and how great minds are coming together for great pieces of technology due to being scared.