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Elderly Neighbors Struggle with Digital Utility Sign-Ups · Digg

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Elderly Neighbors Struggle with Digital Utility Sign-Ups

Replies describe seniors blocked by email rules, QR codes, and app loops.

A post by @WohlstandsWal states his 81-year-old neighbor tried to register for electricity, water, and internet. The electricity provider required an online process with an email address she did not have. The water provider sent a QR code that she held to the window expecting it to need light. The internet provider led to a 40-minute phone loop. Replies from users including @abandopa, @CactusCat236, and @battleaxe1959 report parallel experiences with octogenarians who cannot navigate digital interfaces and feel worthless as a result.

Combined views

832.8K

7 posts, first seen 1d ago

49.9K likes1.7K comments1.4K saves14.5K reposts

Elderly Neighbors Struggle with Digital Utility Sign-Ups

Replies describe seniors blocked by email rules, QR codes, and app loops.

A post by @WohlstandsWal states his 81-year-old neighbor tried to register for electricity, water, and internet. The electricity provider required an online process with an email address she did not have. The water provider sent a QR code that she held to the window expecting it to need light. The internet provider led to a 40-minute phone loop. Replies from users including @abandopa, @CactusCat236, and @battleaxe1959 report parallel experiences with octogenarians who cannot navigate digital interfaces and feel worthless as a result.

Posts from X

7 posts

WO
WohlstandsWal@WohlstandsWal Yesterday
Meine Nachbarin ist 81. Sie wollte Strom, Wasser und Internet anmelden. Sie hat es nicht geschafft. Der Stromanbieter: nur noch online, mit E-Mail-Adresse. Hat sie nicht. Der Wasserversorger: ein QR-Code auf dem Brief. Sie hat ihn ans Fenster gehalten – sie dachte, er muss ins…
- likes: 49.3K
- replies: 1.6K
- bookmarks: 1.4K
- reposts: 14.4K
1. JM
  Jerri Munn@battleaxe1959 Yesterday
  @WohlstandsWal I’m 66. I’m a retired Agronomist (Agricultural Science). My husband was an IT Master Consultant. Now he has Alzheimer’s. I recently purchased a printer. It’s still not properly connected because I can’t make it talk to my laptop over WiFi. I feel like an idiot.
  - likes: 302
  - replies: 49
  - bookmarks: 2
  - reposts: 14
AB
Amitabha Bandyopadhy@abandopa Yesterday
I live with three octogenarians. I actually see this problem everyday. Only one out of three can use digital interfaces.
- likes: 11
- replies: 4
- bookmarks: 1
- reposts: 4
YC
Yvonne C@CountryGardener Yesterday
"When did we actually decide that basic utilities are only for those who can operate a smartphone?" We didn't decide anything. The corporates did and most of them farmed their help desks out to India as well.
- likes: 149
- replies: 13
- bookmarks: 2
- reposts: 53
𝙾𝚟
𝙾𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛@overlandertheb1 Yesterday
As I help my mum with this stuff (she is brilliant and only needs occasional help) I keep wondering what I'll be like if I reach that age. I'll refuse the brain implant and be ejected into the hard vacuum I suspect.
- likes: 9
- replies: 2
- bookmarks: 0
- reposts: 1
NS
Nuff Said 1960@NuffSaid1960 Yesterday
Our Seniors need help; let's not turn our backs on them as the government does.
- likes: 2
- replies: 3
- bookmarks: 0
- reposts: 1

Combined views

832.8K

7 posts, first seen 1d ago

49.9K likes1.7K comments1.4K saves14.5K reposts

Sentiment

Positive5.9%94.1%Negative

Summary

Replies criticized banks and utilities for forcing elderly customers onto apps and online systems, sharing stories of seniors denied teller service, struggling with passwords, and lacking in-person alternatives.

Based on 21 sentiment-bearing replies from 17 accounts across 2 conversations.

Sentiment

Positive5.9%94.1%Negative

Summary

Replies criticized banks and utilities for forcing elderly customers onto apps and online systems, sharing stories of seniors denied teller service, struggling with passwords, and lacking in-person alternatives.

Based on 21 sentiment-bearing replies from 17 accounts across 2 conversations.

Posts from X

56 posts

WO
WohlstandsWal@WohlstandsWal Yesterday
Meine Nachbarin ist 81. Sie wollte Strom, Wasser und Internet anmelden. Sie hat es nicht geschafft. Der Stromanbieter: nur noch online, mit E-Mail-Adresse. Hat sie nicht. Der Wasserversorger: ein QR-Code auf dem Brief. Sie hat ihn ans Fenster gehalten – sie dachte, er muss ins…
- likes: 49.3K
- replies: 1.6K
- bookmarks: 1.4K
- reposts: 14.4K
1. JM
  Jerri Munn@battleaxe1959 Yesterday
  @WohlstandsWal I’m 66. I’m a retired Agronomist (Agricultural Science). My husband was an IT Master Consultant. Now he has Alzheimer’s. I recently purchased a printer. It’s still not properly connected because I can’t make it talk to my laptop over WiFi. I feel like an idiot.
  - likes: 302
  - replies: 49
  - bookmarks: 2
  - reposts: 14
  1. WO
    WohlstandsWal@WohlstandsWal Yesterday
    @battleaxe1959 Yeah it is hard to keep up with it, I am doing tech stuff for my own parents all the time and they say without me they could not do anything. Sometimes all you need is a tech son hahah
    likes: 103
    replies: 3
    bookmarks: 1
    reposts: 7
  2. TS
    Tom Simone@realtomsimone Yesterday
    @battleaxe1959 @WohlstandsWal To be fair, connecting printers to WiFi is something of a Dark Art, even to the tech- savvy.
    likes: 8
    replies: 2
    bookmarks: 1
    reposts: 0
  3. NF
    Nicholas Fimbel@NickFimbel Yesterday
    @battleaxe1959 @WohlstandsWal I can help you with that. Locate your printers IP address (Google typical IP for your printer model) then open your web browser and enter in the IP address in the search bar. It will look something like this”192.108.0.8” or something… let me know
    likes: 5
    replies: 0
    bookmarks: 2
    reposts: 0
2. ZA
  Zappzarapp@Boomer_HATE Yesterday
  Naja... Smartphones kamen vor ~20 Jahre raus. Computer sind noch älter. Anstatt damals mit der Zeit zu gehen, wollte sie ihre altmodische Lebensart beibehalten und jetzt rächt es sich. Es würde mich eigentlich nicht wundern, wenn die Fax Geräte beim Amt hauptsächlich von…
  - likes: 173
  - replies: 71
  - bookmarks: 3
  - reposts: 2