5 tech problems we've all had to help our parents with

Dec 3 2016, 12:56 am

For us millennials, using technology is as natural as putting on pants in the morning – maybe even more so.

But for our parents? Not so much.

They struggle to understand anything more complicated than the power button on their 1997 desktop computer, and end up calling us to help them solve their problems (Mom, you have to turn on the monitor in order to get on the internet).

It’s not that we mind helping out sometimes, but invariably their problems are always the same.

We’ve compiled a list of five funny issues that we’ve all had to deal with – but hopefully for the last time.

Using photo editing software

photos

Editing/Shutterstock

Your family can never get the perfect family photo, so your mom decides to create a composite or edit an unsalvageable image. But that’s inevitably a mistake. Either you help her and end up doing it yourself, or your family Christmas card features a grotesque monstrosity of photography. Your brother is twice as large as everyone else, your aunt is glowing like an angelic deity, and your dad is grainy and dark.

Eliminating viruses

Visiting your parents isn’t just your inherent responsibility; it’s necessary for the survival of their computer. When you don’t stop by for more than a month, their computer is riddled with a variety of exotic viruses and malware, and their browsers littered with sketchy toolbar applications. It’s a pain to get rid of all the junk, but someone has to do it.

Taking a selfie

It’s embarrassing to watch your parents when they’re trying to take selfies. They hold the phone awkwardly, not sure where to put their fingers. If you’re really lucky they’ll try to do it with a DSLR, cutting off half your head in the process. There’s really nothing you can do about this issue – just grin and bear it as they click away (hopefully they don’t upload it to Facebook).

Installing a printer

No dad, you have to set it as the default printer if you want it to print. Yes, I’m sure. No – you have to plug it in first. Trying to help your parents install anything is just torture. They think they know what to do, but they’re a hindrance. It would be better if they would just let you do it yourself, or if there was someone else to do it for you.

Setting up the Internet

install

Internet/Shutterstock

You couldn’t live without the internet, but it would be nice if your parents would. They’ve moved up from dial-up, graduating to the Ethernet cord that connects their computer to the rest of the world. But now they want wireless, and it’s your responsibility to make it happen. Setting up a router is difficult enough without people peering over your shoulder telling you exactly what you’re doing wrong, and you just know that in two weeks when they accidentally bump it you’ll be asked to set it right.


Helping our parents with these tech problems can create lasting memories, but usually these memories are of confusion and frustration.

So this Christmas, why not give your parents a gift that will reduce holiday stress and give you more time to make good memories? Geek Squad, an IT company that works through Best Buy, offers everything from photo editing tutorials and software installation to device repairs and malware removal.

Geek Squad is offering membership plans that you can give as gifts. With the membership, when your parents have problems, they’ll be able to contact Geek Squad and get help online, over the phone, or in person. It’s a simple gift for your parents that will improve their lives.

And as a bonus, it will improve your life too.

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