Texting “A Pain in the Neck”
Posted by Charles Batchelor on August 3, 2008
I loved the August 1 story in the Washington Post how seniors are tapping into texting. Kim Hart did a great job. But, really, the point of the article was: Not really.
The story starts off with:
“Jane Stohlman, 69, stared intently, trying to figure out why in the dickens that tiny envelope kept appearing on her cellphone’s screen.
The helpful young man sitting beside her explained. It was a text message, and it was far more useful than one of those old-fashioned voice mails.”
“Not at my age,” Stohlman informed him. “And who the heck was texting me?”
Hart reported that, “for wireless companies, senior citizens are a relatively underserved market. About 50 percent of seniors over age 65 own a cellphone, compared with nearly 90 percent of consumers 18 to 29, according to a survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project.”
Seniors make up the fastest-growing market for cellphone firms like AT&T, the article said.
The reporter was covering a demo for seniors by AT&T. One compay rep showed a woman how to designate her daughter as a contact under “ICE,” short for “in case of emergency.”
But when he typed the wrong letter, he was one who was stumped. He couldn’t find the delete button.
Now it was Esler’s turn to show off her cellphone skills. She proudly pointed out the correct button. “It may be old, but it still works fine.”
The story concluded with this:
Tap, tap, tapping away in search of the right letters to spell out “Hello” for a text message seemed a bit overwhelming to Stohlman.
It’s all about rhythm, she was encouraged by Damon Frazier, also an AT&T sales representative. It just takes practice.
“It’s a pain in the neck!” Stohlman said.
Actually, Frazier said, texting can be quite addictive.
“Trust me,” Stohlman said. “I have plenty of other things to do.”
