Tag: education

Divided Nation…but not as you know it

I have noticed that in the UK we are divided nation! No , really? I hear you say……..

But thankfully this is nothing to do with politics or Brexit.

Much is already said on that divisive subject so I really don’t need to add to it!

We are in fact a technology divided nation. Although this is in some ways generational,  there is actually a big split within the 50 to 70 year age group… the baby boomers and early years generation x. So what is the split..it’s all about fear.I was in my local supermarket on a busy weekday lunchtime and the queues were building at the tills. Standing behind were two ladies in their 50’s. One immediately sauntered off to the self service service till…a few  scans, bleeps and screen presses and she was done. No ‘unexpected item in bagging area ‘ warnings for her.  The other lady resolutely refused to go near the device.  She explained she had never used such a device, would not know what to do , had not been shown what to do and she was fearful she might break it.

So why this difference. It all comes down to attitude to technology and being able to differentiate between mechanical and electronic.   We all see very young children grasping (literally) electronic devices, and using them intuitively and fearlessly.  However  in  the previous generations there are   large numbers of people thinking of  electronics in the same way  a car…you have to have lessons,  you have to be approved to use it (ie have a licence) and if you do the wrong thing…you could seriously damage it.

So is there an answer…yes it is education. My (at the time) 80 year old mother enrolled in a class called IT for the terrified…it was fun, factual and in her case transformational.  Ok it might be a diminishing generation who need this…but the need is currently still there.

The bees knees….

My grandfather was a doctor and naturally inquisitive and always striving to learn more. Even with something as simple as looking up a word in the dictionary he said you should whilst the book is open read the entry above and the entry below. In this way you will learn more things, admittedly maybe not things you need to know, but that might enrich you.

In the electronic world we live in some will argue that these opportunities don’t arise now…but I disagree. In our news feeds etc. there are often adjacent articles that may catch our eye and will be worth our attention.

I can testify to this as recently as yesterday. The said adjacent article intrigued me…’Large Investment for Bee Network’.

From more detailed scrutiny I learnt of a brave and bold initiative to create 1000’s of miles of cycle tracks in the Manchester (England) area including links to major tourist areas , city centre and outlyng towns to revolutionise cycling in the city.

Now I don’t live in Manchester, not really cycle that much but I do strongly support anything that gets people outside, doing healthy stuff and reducing polution so a tick in all three boxes there. I also embrace any kind of good news story so for this alone, I thank my grandfather. Manchester has been in the worldwide news spotlight in the past but for very troubling reasons – most recently the terrorist attacks at the Ariana Grande concert in the city’s arena.

Oh, and in case you are wondering why the name Bee network? The bee has been the symbol of Manchester seen in city emblems since the 1800’s representing it’s tradition as an industrious city. A very apt name for the evolution of transport in this resilient and growing city.

Sometimes in life you need to go and find the good news, it doesn’t come to you.

Why this blog? Click to find out more….

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