I got a call from a woman wanting to learn how to post a photo to Facebook. She was tired of hearing:
“Mom, I showed you how to do this.”
“We did this yesterday, Mom…it’s not that hard.”
“Really, mom, again?”
I went over; she sat at her computer, I sat to her right. She was a little skittish.
I showed her where to find her photos. She selected one, clicked Share and chose Facebook from the pop-up menu. That’s where it got tricky. Up popped a small window asking for her Facebook email address and password.
She stiffened and quickly turned toward the phone on her left. “I have to call my husband. He knows all the passwords.”
I knew she went on Facebook often. “Are you sure you don’t know your password?” I asked gently.
She replied and her words were quick, “I do but he changes them all the time. I have to ask him.”
I looked back at the screen. It did look a little ominous. Small type, two fields for the email and password, check box to agree to Facebook’s terms. I remembered when I was first learning to use a computer; anything that popped up unexpectedly made my heart race.
“Hold on just a second, please,” I said calmly, “Let’s read this.”
I read and she listened. It was just asking for her email address and Facebook password. She was still unsure. I said, “Go ahead and type them in. If it’s not correct, no harm done and you can call your husband.”
Lo and behold, it worked. It took her right to her Facebook page where she could post her photo.
Lesson: Breathe. The warnings and pop-ups can be scary. Take the time to read the fine print. If it is indeed something you don’t understand, call me, Apple/Windows Support, or, if you have to, your child. But you might surprise yourself. You know more than you think.
NANCY SPEAR
Nancy's Tech Help for Older Adults
info@nancys-tech-help.com
nancys-tech-help.com
310-365-9951