After providing training for PETRONAS' retail station dealers over the last 3 days, i've come to realize that the Internet is a tool for the young. This not necessarily mean that an elderly person will have difficulty on the Internet; a "young" mind will also suffice. But more often than not, the saying, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" is very true.
Advancing in age
The most pronounced manifestation of this came yesterday. During the training, it was obvious that some of the dealers were just not getting it. At one point, i had to actually hold then hand of one of them, directing their actions on the screen, helping him move the mouse and clicking the appropriate buttons. I was reminded of the time, oh so long ago, when mom used to hold my hand with the pencil and teach me how to draw circles on pieces of paper. There was little more that i could do than smile politely and not ignore them during the course of the day. But i knew that when they left the room, going back to their realities, they would be lost once more.
Thankfully, only a few fall into this "lost" category. But even with so few having these problems (mostly those 45 years and older), it did show how the Internet, for all its value and hype, would not reach a large segment of people. It makes me realise that i take for granted the skills i have and the skills i assume would be easy for others to learn when it isn't. The whole experience has thought me to be patient; more than once, i bit my tongue and kept in check any visible sign of frustration. It would have been so easy to scream out, "Its so freaking easy! Why don't you get it??"
But, it isn't easy, not for them, nor will it ever. I respect the fact that, knowing this, they still turned up. The easy way would have been not to even try, but to a man, they all did their best. The versatility of the human spirit, and its courage to learn - that's impressive. That's the lesson that they've taught me.
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