That got us thinking: how many digital problems are caused by simply not understanding the technology? How many people are settling for second best, or working with clunky old websites that aren’t doing them any favours simply because ‘better the devil you know’?
How much better would people’s experiences with – and results from – their websites, social media, devices, and more be if they simply had a bit more knowledge? Or, (hint hint), if they had knowledgeable professionals on hand to advise.
Here, we’re going to let our writer dive into the world of the technophobe.
Fear of the unknown
‘Technophobe’ make you think ‘fear of tech’ but most people aren’t ‘scared’ of computers per se (unless their computer is this truly terrifying haunted one from Texas). But they are often wary of ‘messing up’, or flailing around with technology they don’t understand.
That’s why a lot of people are very reluctant to change operating systems, or web hosts, or even mobile handsets – they’re used to their familiar old systems, and they worry about not understanding something new. Even when that ‘new’ thing is demonstrably better than the old one.
Sometimes, this avoidance of the unknown goes further than simple wariness, and slides into the realm of genuine fear. While researching Halloween blogs, I found plenty of tales of ‘haunted’ computers that were actually just being their normal (if annoying) computer selves. This is a classic example:
I even have examples of my own, from a very nice but very technophobic great-aunt.
On one occasion, my great-aunt rang in great distress because her new smartphone was “Shouting at” her. Initially I thought that she was making phone calls with the volume turned up too high, or that she’d accidentally activated the virtual assistant, but when I investigated properly it turned out that the “shouting” was pop-up ads playing in the background as she browsed the web on her phone.
I couldn’t explain to her what a pop-up ad was, nor why it caused the “shouting”, so in the end I muted her browser and crossed my fingers that this would not cause issues in the future (so far so good!)
Then there was the time her phone became haunted by photos of my dogs.
A little while ago, my great-aunt came to visit me and met my dogs for the first time. No sooner had she clapped eyes upon them then she gasped, raised a trembling hand to point at Toby, and whimpered “That’s the dog that haunts my phone!”
Behold! The dread spectral beast in all his fearsome might! Tremble before him!
Again, my initial explanation was too simplistic. I assumed that she’d stumbled upon her Facebook app or something, seen pictures of my dogs, and failed to understand that they were on the app rather than ‘haunting’ her phone.
But no. Determined to prove the supernatural nature of these photos, my great-aunt opened her camera roll and showed me that the photos weren’t being viewed through an app or conversation. They were on her phone, in her gallery.
So, was my great-aunt’s phone being haunted by spontaneously generated pictures of my dogs?
No, of course not. She was in the family WhatsApp chat, and it was set to automatically download photographs. I had sent various photos of my dogs to the family chat.
When I explained WhatsApp to her she was delighted to find that she could spam her entire family with minion memes with ease for the rest of her life (thinking about it perhaps I should have left her ignorant of WhatsApp and thinking her phone was haunted by dog photos…)
Get the best out of your tech with the right expertise
What my great-aunt really needs for her phone (and what, I have to admit, I do not have the patience to provide) is someone on hand to explain it to her, or even to operate it for her. Her phone itself is not the problem. It’s her lack of understanding.
This is why a lot of people stick with websites and social media pages that really aren’t benefiting them. In fact, their digital presence may actually be holding them back. They’re unable to reach the audiences they want, to display their brand in the right way, or to engage with their customers on a level that works. But they don’t revamp their digital presence because that’s a big, scary step into the unknown.
Luckily, you don’t have to make that step alone.
Here at Sox Digital, we can take all the fear, uncertainty, and unknowing out of digital change. We have all the expertise you need to create a digital presence that works for you, and we can explain it to you in ways you’ll understand.
We’re happy to do the hard bits for you, as well. If you want a brand new website that looks good, works fast, and gives your customers the perfect experience, we can build it for you. We can even run it for you if you need us to!
So, don’t let lack of tech knowledge hold you back. Don’t stick with the devil you know. Put some Sox on and step into a world where technology works for you, not the other way around.
Contact us today for a free consultation!