The Confusion to Educate About 2009 Digital Turnover and the Battle Against Technophobia

We've all had the same problem: Trying to explain to an older relative (and, once in a while, a younger one with an antiquarian soul) how to use a certain piece of confusing technology. Whether by the process of evolution or not, the younger generation seemingly have an intuitive way of understanding every new piece of technology from the get-go, while those getting way up in years look at certain pieces of technology as something incomprehensible. While I think it's true that evolution makes those born in the last twenty years more apt to figure out technology innately, older people probably could adjust within weeks if they just didn't have the troublesome mental state of technophobia.

When it comes to the digital conversion in February 2009, our government is a bit concerned about getting the word out, especially when all those millions of digital converter box coupons they're offering still are sitting waiting to be sent out. A lot of people (and more than even I thought in this country) who go off an antenna to watch TV aren't getting the word about the coupons and therefore may not be able to afford to buy the digital converter box when the switchover happens. And then you have some who would give you a deer in headlights stare if you combined the words digital and converter in the same sentence.

I hate to say that's mostly elderly people, though it's safe to say that the majority are. The youngest ones who wouldn't know about the digital converter boxes would be ones who've completely shunned society and are living out in the wilderness somewhere where they probably only listen to radio, if even that. Then you have everybody else of all ages just being too busy with their careers and lives to worry about the digital conversion. That's where the FCC is reportedly going to step in and start doing tours around the country to educate people about it.

Yes, it's almost like sending good old Paul Revere out to inform everybody at the 11^th hour that the digital is coming.

It seems the internet, print, TV and radio ads to get the word out about the conversion have been pretty good by my eyes. The FCC is learning, though, that no matter how wide a media campaign, the diversity of media and busier lives of people means it can go completely overlooked, especially if you don't make the ads compelling enough for anybody to pay attention to. For the busiest of people who listen to TV casually, seeing an ad about digital converter boxes in a flat and conversational way may just appear to be an electronics store ad in the periphery of those people's minds.

Of course, we all remember trying to explain VCR's, DVD players, cell phones and iPods to our older relatives who would just interrupt and say they didn't understand all of that stuff. Back during the technological revolution of the 80's and 90's when more complicated technology was being thrown out there, it almost made you wonder if it was wrong to criticize anybody who didn't make an effort to learn how those things worked...

They're in a technophobia state of mind...

Now with the digital conversion giving the final straw for the old and rare young who look at technology as overcomplicating the world, we're going to have to really look at that casual problem of technophobia and wonder if the FCC's national tour will really solve getting the word out or confuse people even more. Even I've tried explaining the digital converter box to various older relatives in a simple, understandable way. The response is usually one of resistance, still not caring or the old standby of pretending to understand what you're saying when they clearly don't.

That's what the FCC should have planned for before going out to educate people: Get people who know how to explain technology in the simplest of terms so there isn't any eyes glazing over. And getting people who understand just what technophobia is would also be valuable.

With that in mind, can we really define technophobia in the annals of psychology? We'll just assume without being able to conduct an expensive study that it's the result of an automatic shutdown of the brain to learning something new because the person is afraid they'll look ignorant if they don't right off the bat. The only way to solve it is to have a symbiotic process of someone patient who can explain things very methodically. Conversely, the person with the technophobia should understand they won't be chastised for not understanding a piece of technology within the first day or even first week. They have to be receptive, however, to learning something new, which is necessary if you want to even live in the world.
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Most importantly, having a program set up to get those tech-challenged people to practice using their digital converter boxes is also essential. If there's ever a better cure for technophobia it's to plow in and start using the technology step by step to learn while you do.

Because the FCC is frequently disorganized in their procedures of late, I don't expect any of this with the likelihood many are going to wake up one day next February and discover that their over-the-air TV went to a permanent snow. Hopefully it won't force those young outcasts living in the mountains somewhere to have to hike all the way back into civilization to make sure they're not suddenly living in an "I Am Legend" world...

Sources:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2008/08/fcc-to-hit-the.html