Thinking about new technologies and why people may or may not use the technologies, the story of my grandma keeps on running through my head. She used to speak some kind of dialect from the north of the Netherlands. But on the phone, it was impossible for her to speak dialect and she would resort to 'correct' Dutch. The phone never became so comfortable that she could be at ease and speak dialect. It seems that it really takes time for people to get used to new technologies and be comfortable with them. Though it may depend how different the technology is from known technologies (like telephone may have been the first disembodied communication experience for my grandmother, but skype may be closer to normal telephone).
In my blog I share about learning design with technology, blended learning & knowmad learning. I started with a focus on communities of practice. I share personal experiences, articles and cases.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Culture and technology: grandma on the phone
Thinking about new technologies and why people may or may not use the technologies, the story of my grandma keeps on running through my head. She used to speak some kind of dialect from the north of the Netherlands. But on the phone, it was impossible for her to speak dialect and she would resort to 'correct' Dutch. The phone never became so comfortable that she could be at ease and speak dialect. It seems that it really takes time for people to get used to new technologies and be comfortable with them. Though it may depend how different the technology is from known technologies (like telephone may have been the first disembodied communication experience for my grandmother, but skype may be closer to normal telephone).
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