Today my dad asked to show him how to send himself a youtube link. Before we started he asked for steps so he can jott them down for future reference. Not listening I asked him to start off finding the video that he wants to send. He speaks out the process as he attempts to access Youtube and these were the words I hear: "So I will goto Youtube and copy and paste the video to my google."
Hearing this I then tried to explain that he has to understand the difference between a website like youtube, google, and gmail. After hearing that he started to get confused. I kept insisting he had to understand the "basics". It got frustrating for him and myself. Looking at the situation from a third person perspective, it was going to be like driving After laughing out loud, I had to hear my dad out.
He explained to me how he learned in his computer class. After a quick breakdown, today I learned that the generation X and above have to learn in a different way even simpler than googling "how to do __(Fill in the blank) ."
It was humbling to listen to him, because sending youtube link to yourself is beyond preschool. We have to understand that it's not the case with everyone else. One of the things the younger generations of X,Y, Z, and beyond should know is not all the boomers had access to the latest technological goods that were being sold in the consumer markets from 1960-2000 in their lives. This reigns true if they came from a third world country, or had to focus on making a living for a family. What I've learned from being born and raised in the US is that there are no excuses. But some people are at this foreign state with tech and computers so the least we can do is to help them become competent in communicating online in an already simplified connected world.
This is a philosophy I carry for myself, if you're parents raised you, provided you a home to grow up in, the least you can do is be patient when teaching them anything. When they brought you into the world, you knew NOTHING.
Onto the solution, while this is no quick fix, it's a building block to help the older generations with or without a grasp of the tech/internet/computer language let alone the English language. This may not apply to everyone, but it's a start.
So to start it off, you have to be very elementary in any explanations. My dad works for a city job as a park maintenance professional and is good at everything, and really wants to put computer exposure under his expertise. His team consists of people young and old and has a good number of 50 and up.
Their tech class was simple as f*ck. The instructor didn't go explaining what anything was or the history of anything, except to just do what she says. She gave them a process list to press this button, click this bar, type in this word, and so on.
You're probably thinking what I was thinking, "how will they learn and know what they exactly are doing for future references?" The process was simple, they rinsed and repeated(practiced) a few times and once they were familiar the instructor started to explain what they just did. First you give a group a target, task, or goal, they perform the steps and practice it then it gets broken down to them.
This is not how everyone learns(everyone learns differently), but it's a start. My dad's group learned how to take care of email faster than asking an impatient person to teach one person. They can attest to this process, and I will be using it more to help my parents understanding computers and tech.
If you guys have better and effective ways to teach the generation X and above folks to engage with technology please email me at thetopramen@gmail.com
Thanks for reading this, and hope we can help the other generations enjoy what we enjoy with today's simplistic technologies.
After reading this book, I've decided to start summarizing what I've learned from this book to help ingrain the knowledge to my knowledge bank.
Starting with the book, it was an easy read and was almost like talking to a financial investor even though I've never worked with one. Also, please know that this is filtered knowledge from my own reading, it's good to do your own research.
Since this is not a book review, we'll start off talking about diversification. I've heard of this term many times previously and assumed it to be as it sounds. Knowing to place your money in different places or investments with research in what or where you are putting it in is the first lesson dropped.
Time is a supporting factor, and the best time to start is early or NOW. If you have the money, and are prepared to put in the time, find out what prices are low.
One interesting thing the author touched upon was about playing with your mortgage. A lot of the folks that grew up with the great depression mindset made it a mission to always pay off the mortgage in the quickest way possible. This book, talks about being "house poor" and having as big of a mortgage as you can so you have money left over to do investments, or prepare for other house expenses.
This makes sense to a certain extent, as I believe to never be in debt. The benefits of having a mortgage are the tax breaks and freeing up your cash flow.
Prior to reading this book, I had no clue as to the difference of stocks, funds, bonds, certificate of deposits or anything on that financial level. A lot of people invest into fixed accounts which are what most of the 9 to 5ers are in. It's a company or institution plan that does not really move meaning you don't lose much, nor do you EARN much. That aspect of investing goes with my new found understanding of risk in life. No risk, no reward.
Culturally in capitalistic nations or countries, there is a lifestyle of competing consumption where everyone gets the "newest new" thing and wants to be like the rest. Think about putting your money into something that results in a return, so it could be something frivolous if you know how to flip it for profit. The competing consumption of things is a mindset, you just have to know how to spend your money versus wasting it.
In the book besides knowledge from the author, there was different interviews with some of the author's clients which provided life and financial experience stories to great benefits. One client had stated that his way of becoming financially independent was to not let a job become your life. You do not have to fear about losing your job. Know that you work because you WANT to and not because you have to.
Understand taking calculated risks.
In a free society, being poor is a state of mind and being broke is a state of wallet. You can fix being broke, but it's not as easy to fix the mindset of being poor. Once again the mind, and the power to think for yourself is a tool to your own advantage.
Continuing the aspect of time and investing, be consistent in saving and find something to invest in through a long time. You don't have to invest more than $1000 per year as practice.
Try out the "buy and hold" strategy as a way to manage money. Buy a variety of quality investments(diversification) and hold onto them for a long period of time. "The most money you put in the bank account consistently in will have the most money."
Filter out emotions when making investment decisions. "Market Timing" is ideally something we'd all like to possess, but to know when things move in the markets are a difficult thing to apply. It's like controlling the force of an ocean wave. Emotions are the cause of most investment failures. Obtain the historical facts to support your decisions, and take the calculated risk.
Personal financial success is not achieved through spending time tracking your expenses. It's as simple as knowing what coming in and going out, anticipate the bills and expenses you may have. Managing what you have is as simple as having the least amount of accounts to keep you free.
Diversify your currency in different investments such as IRA accounts, selected insurances, life insurances, wills, mutual funds and more of what you find worthwhile. Understand that money works like water, keep it moving in savings, investments and enjoy a portion. Ultimately learn to love what money can do, not money itself.
This has been a fun quick non standard essay or blog post. It feels refreshing and I have a sense of fearlessness in doing this. Share the knowledge you get to receive more. Always be studying and refining yourself and your skills.
