Making Technology Less Intimidating
Lessons From a Life on the Move
By Reinhard Hermes
Technology can feel overwhelming, especially when you didn’t grow up with it. Many seniors think they’re “behind” simply because the world changed faster than anyone expected. But learning something new later in life doesn’t mean you’re slow — it means you’re brave.
My life has been shaped by constant change: immigration, military service, education, cross-country moves, multiple careers, and the many people I met along the way. Those experiences taught me something important:
Change only feels threatening until you start walking toward it. Technology is no different. Here’s what a lifetime of change has taught me about learning new tools without fear.
1. Life Teaches Adaptation Whether We Ask for It or Not
I didn’t choose every challenge in my life — some arrived without warning. But every change demanded something from me:
- Flexibility
- Courage
- The ability to start again
- The patience to fail forward
- The willingness to let go of pride
Technology is simply another chapter in this same story of adaptation. It’s neither good nor bad — it’s a tool, and tools can be learned. Life has a way of pushing us into new chapters, often before we feel ready. My memoir reflects a lifetime of reinvention: from immigrating from Germany to the United States; serving in the U.S. Army during the Viet Nam war; navigating careers in medicine, psychology, financial planning, writing and copyediting. Each chapter required courage, curiosity, and a commitment to learn something new and unfamiliar.
Today, technology is simply the newest chapter. And like many seniors, I initially felt skeptical, but what I learned is that technology becomes far less intimidating when you approach it the same way you approached every other extensive transformation in life — you take it one step and day at a time.
2. Why Technology Feels Intimidating
Most seniors believe they’re the only ones struggling with technology.
The truth? Everyone is confused. Teens, adults, professionals, even tech workers all get stuck.
Technology feels intimidating because:
- Things change constantly
- Instructions aren’t always clear
- We’re afraid of “breaking” something
- We compare ourselves to others
- We think we “should” already know how to do it
But intimidation is just unfamiliarity wearing a mask.
3. You Don’t Need to Know Everything -- Just the Next Step
- You didn’t learn English in one day.
- You didn’t learn your job in one day.
- You didn’t learn life in one day.
- Technology works the same way:
- Learn one small thing at a time — not 20 things, not 100 things, just one.
- Small steps accumulate faster than you think.
4. Confidence Comes From Doing, Not Thinking
Thinking too much builds fear. Doing something builds confidence. Every time you:
- Click a button
- Open a new page
- Upload a file
- Try something new
- follow a small instruction
You build trust in yourself. Confidence isn’t a personality trait — it’s a muscle.
5. You’re Not Starting from Scratch. You’re Starting With Experience.
People say seniors “struggle” with technology. I disagree.
Seniors have:
- Patience
- Life Experience
- Discipline
- Emotional Maturity
- Ability to see the big picture
- Calmness to slow down and think
Those skills make you a better learner than most 20-year-olds tapping on screens without thinking. You’re not behind.
You’re just applying your strengths to something new — and that takes time.
6. The Secret to Learning Technology: Make It Personal
Technology is easier when you tie it to something meaningful:
- Connecting with family
- Preserving Memories
- Writing your Story
- Organizing your Life
- Managing your Health
- Creating something new
- Expanding your Independence
Learning becomes easier when the tool serves a purpose.
7. Forget Perfect — Aim for Progress
Perfection is the enemy of learning.
Technology changes every few months. If you aim to “know everything,” you’ll always feel behind.
Instead:
- Make Mistakes
- Ask Questions
- Go Slow
- Repeat Steps
- Pause when Needed
- Try again Tomorrow
No one learns well while frustrated, but everyone learns when patient.
8. The Most Important Step: Keep Showing Up
You’ve survived far more difficult challenges in life than learning a piece of software or navigating a website. Technology is not your enemy. Fear is not your enemy. Stopping is the enemy. If you keep showing up — even a little — you will absolutely master this.
Final Thoughts
Technology may feel intimidating, but it’s not a wall — it’s a doorway. And like every doorway in life, the hardest part is stepping through the first time. Once you take that step, everything becomes more familiar, more manageable, and more empowering.
- You’re not too old.
- You’re not behind.
- You’re not alone.
- You’re simply entering the next chapter of lifelong learning — and doing it with courage.
