Aging ain't for Sissies
Aging isn't easy. My name is Marcy Backhus and I am your host! Make sure your complete well-being is handled with a community and information that can make it easier and FUN. Aging needs humor, which you can find in the "Aging ain't for Sissies" Podcast, along with informational guests that give us the information we need.
Aging ain't for Sissies
If We Survived Bell Bottoms, We Can Master FaceTime
Remember when phones had cords that tethered us to kitchen walls? When you'd dramatically slam a receiver down to end an unwanted call? Those days are long gone, replaced by pocket-sized computers that have fundamentally transformed how we navigate the world—especially for seniors.
Smartphones have quietly revolutionized aging, offering unprecedented tools for independence, health management, and connection. They allow grandparents to see grandchildren's faces across continents, remind us to take medications, help us find our way when lost, and can even detect falls and call for help. For many seniors, these devices have become essential lifelines to family, healthcare, and daily services.
Yet this digital revolution hasn't been without challenges. From frustratingly small fonts to confusing password requirements and constantly moving app buttons, smartphones can sometimes feel designed to confuse rather than assist. More concerning is the growing digital divide as businesses increasingly require smartphones for basic transactions—from parking garage payments to store returns—leaving those without these devices (or the financial means to acquire them) increasingly isolated from everyday activities.
Whether you're a tech enthusiast or reluctantly adapting to this new reality, this episode offers practical solutions to common smartphone frustrations. Discover how to increase text size, simplify your home screen, leverage voice commands, and find free resources to boost your digital confidence. Remember, we've survived rotary phones, phone books thicker than bricks, and the tyranny of long-distance charges after 7 PM—we can absolutely master FaceTime!
Ready to make your smartphone work for you instead of against you? Listen now and join our community of seniors navigating the digital landscape with sass, humor, and just enough common sense to get through the day. Have questions or smartphone successes to share? We'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment, send a message, or share this episode with a friend who could use a digital confidence boost.
Hello and welcome to AGN for Sissies. My name is Marci Backus and I am your host. Well, welcome back everyone to AGN for Sissies, the podcast where we talk about getting older with a little sass, a little humor and maybe just enough common sense to get us through the day. I do want to apologize for not having a podcast last week. Guess what. I don't get paid for doing this, so my week got away from me. Friday came and went and there was no episode. I apologize. I try to give you guys an episode every week. Obviously it helps me consistently with my numbers as well as keeps you up to date with life and things that are going on that I find are important.
Speaker 1:I have had a busy couple of weeks, busier than I like, but nonetheless busy. I feel great. I feel good. I've had some friends stop through Chicago for a cup of coffee, which has been delightful. My friend, laura Bankston and her daughter, emma, came through. My girlfriend, randy's daughter, came through Lindsay and I got to see Lindsay and it was just. It was just. It's been delightful. The weather here has been spectacular. We had a beautiful last few days of August. We've had a couple of crisp days here as we go into September, but nothing horrible, but everything to let us know that we renew. And with that, I will let you know.
Speaker 1:On my Inside Marci's Mind podcast, I talk about September being reset month. So if September is your reset month, or you would like it to be your reset month, listen to my newest episode on Inside Marci's Mind. With that being said, we're going to get back to our aging eight for sissies. Oh, it was so funny. I was in the gym the other day and I was walking down the stairs and two young men, probably late twenties, early thirties, were walking up and one man was saying to the other man you know, when my wife doesn't have enough to keep her busy, she focuses on me and moving the furniture. And I thought, dude, you have already learned the secret. That is a fact. And if, if we are not busy, we focus on you and moving the furniture? And I just, I don't know. That made me laugh. I love that he figured that out. It might make his life a little easier as he moves forward if he just helps with the furniture or finds her something to do, I don't know. But anyways, that was one of my little tickles this week.
Speaker 1:I have a friend, diana, is traveling in Japan and sent some fabulous pictures and I love it. Went to Tokyo Disney and you know I'm a Disney freak. I do have a Disney trip on the books. I did take a trip to Arizona since we last spoke, spending time with my adorable family there and just had a great time. I love it when I go there and I will tell you something I physically feel better when I'm in Arizona. There is something about the air there and it really does me. It's not even a joke. I mean, I know old people go to Arizona. We go there for a reason. We feel better. I just feel in tip top shape when I'm there. I love it because I can do my aerobic workouts in his pool and I just walk in the backyard and get my workout done every day while I'm there and I love that and they're just a fun family to be with. Chris was off at college and so Brooke was the only one home and she is just as stinking adorable on the swim team doing great this year. I don't know. I just I have such a good time when I'm there. It's such a good feeling. So thank you, johnson's, for hosting me when I come. I always do enjoy it. I will be back in February, if not sooner.
Speaker 1:I did fly I for those of you that do know, I got a blood clot flying in April, may, and I have a genetic disorder that predisposes me to spontaneous artery ruptures or vein ruptures, even just veins. So taking a blood thinner is not an exciting proposition for me. I can blow an artery and if I'm on a blood thinner, just put the two and two together. You got it. Anyways, my hematologist and I, in order for me to continue to fly, I do have to take a blood thinner and it lasts. It's Eloquence and it lasts for 12 hours. So I took it before I got on the plane and just said a prayer. You know I'm going to go in God's time. I'm not going to go a day or an hour or a minute sooner than what was already planned for me and I know that I'm just hoping my plan is a little longer, god. But you know I took it and hopped on the plane and at four o'clock in the afternoon we were in the pool. I think we were somewhere.
Speaker 1:I was with everybody in Arizona. I'm like okay, my bleeding problem is at bay right now. You know it lasts for 12 hours. So, and there is an antidote. Alex says it sounds like I am a criminal on a cartoon where I need to get the antidote. But there is an antidote. If I am on land and I get to a hospital, it will thicken up my blood, but you know, I could lose too much by then. So, anyways, that's enough doom and gloom, because I don't like doom and gloom. I'm feeling great. I'm feeling good, I'm able to travel.
Speaker 1:I'm headed to the state of Washington, to Seattle, for Brendan and Jennifer's wedding. My friend Annette, who was here visiting it's her oldest son. Brendan's been a part of my life for a very long time. I think I started with second grade, sunday school, helped him through Eagle a little bit and, yeah, I'm excited. I'm excited to go up to Seattle. Hope the weather's good. We're going to go to a baseball game while we're up there.
Speaker 1:Oh, I drafted my fantasy football league while I was in Arizona. Looks like I have a pretty good team. We'll see how the honey badgers do go. Honey badgers, I've won the league twice, but last year I came in short. So we'll see. We will see how I do this year. I enjoy doing it. Craig does it. Another fun thing, let's see what else is going on. Done a lot of resetting around the house. I'll talk about that in my Inside Marcy Minds podcast, so take a listen to that, talking about resetting our lives for September.
Speaker 1:But today we're going to talk about something that rules the world. No, not politicians, not TikTok influencers, not even cats on YouTube. I'm talking about smartphones, these tiny little glowing rectangles that never leave our hands. Some people treat their phones better than they treat their spouses. I probably am that person, and let me tell you, if my iPhone ever cooks me dinner or does the laundry, maybe I'll consider putting it in my will. So, yes, we are going to talk about our cell phones the good, the bad and the ugly so hang in there and we'll be right back. Talk about our cell phones the good, the bad and the ugly so hang in there and we'll be right back. All right. Well, we're back from our commercial break. There was no commercial. I would like to have a commercial. If you're out there and you would like me to sponsor you, I'm happy to do commercials at any moment. I do all my own commercials just for me.
Speaker 1:We're going to talk about how smartphones took over the world. If you're like me, you remember when phones had cords. You were literally tethered to the kitchen wall while having a private conversation except for it wasn't private because everyone in the house could hear. I remember we had a two-story house and I remember when mom got a phone upstairs she was so excited and I can understand why, for gosh sakes. I also remember when we went from dial phone to the keypad with the push button phone and there was a star and a tic-tac-toe, or a pound signed, as we call it, and they said we would need those one day. It took quite some time before we needed them, but now we need them. So any youngins listening to this that used to the hashtag used to be called a pound sign, but now I know if I'm talking to anybody that's young, it needs to be called a hashtag, whatever. Anyways, yes, then a big breakthrough the cordless phone came. Remember when we had cordless phones in the house with those metal antennas. Um, you could walk around the house while gossiping with your sister until the battery died after seven minutes, which is true. You would go outside thinking it had a further range and your phone conversation would be cut off.
Speaker 1:Uh, the problems of phones and I don't think I ever thought there would be a day that I wouldn't have a landline. Honestly, I don't know. I mean, I remember one of my first apartments. My color scheme was sage and dusty rose. Just love that. And I went to the AT&T store and I got myself the princess style phone, one in sage for the bedroom and one in dusty rose for the living room. My apartment was so freaking small. What did I need two phones for? I think it was because I wanted one dusty rose and one sage green. Anyways, those were the days, the days of the AT&T store where you went and picked the color and style of your phone. Those days are long gone. I have not had a home phone for years, I would say 10 years, I want to say. I think I only kept one because they bundled it together Cox and Orange County and then when I started trying to save money on all this garbage, I think I got rid of it. Anyway, that's kind of the life of the phone and a lot of us now don't even have home phones.
Speaker 1:Then came the flip phone. Remember that feeling of snapping it shut after a dramatic conversation? Let me tell you, snapping your flip phone shut is nothing like slamming a receiver down. There will never, ever, ever be as good a feeling as slamming that receiver down and shutting off a conversation you didn't want to continue. Nothing says conversation over like slamming plastic together. Try hanging up on someone with a smartphone Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. Yeah, not the same dramatic effect? No, it does not. I have hung up on Craig many a time as his frustration boils over in me and it has no satisfaction of pushing that button. And sometimes you push that button and it doesn't hang up and that's even more frustrating.
Speaker 1:And now here we are smartphones. They've replaced cameras, calendars, alarm clocks, radios, newspapers and, in some cases, our memory. Honestly, if I don't put something in my phone, it doesn't exist. My brain has officially outsourced to Apple. I don't know about you, but that's how I feel. They've taken over in such a way that some people are getting left behind.
Speaker 1:Smartphones aren't just for young people glued to TikTok. For us seniors they actually matter. They do actually matter. They do actually matter. But I do feel like there is a group. This week I had three meetings. I had book group Tuesday, I had discernment committee Wednesday and I had my stewardship committee last night, but at my book club. We have a wonderful gentleman there, an older gentleman, and he was so frustrated over something and I asked him what was going on. Now, living here in the city, he has a flip phone. I don't know how he is getting by without a smartphone, but he is my phone.
Speaker 1:It comes into play now. Where it comes into play most recently is the parking garage at the gym. It's also a mall, it is where blooming deals is, it is also the four seasons. It's all these things wrapped into one. And um, they've changed our parking garage. You don't get a ticket when you come in I. It scans your license plate. I don't, oh no, you use an app. That's it. I did it once it got messed up, so I haven't done it again. We have an app. We go in. When you get in there, you let the app know that you've parked. Now we get a discount for going to the gym, so you have to scan a QR code. Okay, now. Now we get a discount for going to the gym, so you have to scan a QR code. Okay, now, think about that. I have to use an app to tell it I've parked. I have to scan a QR code to get my discount, I pay on my phone and then I show a QR code to exit.
Speaker 1:What if you don't have a smartphone? And this is what's happened in John's building he needs a smartphone to get in and out of his parking garage and he doesn't have one. Now I was at Zara's, oh, a year ago, actually returning something, and a woman was returning something and I can't remember, but it had to do with the phone they wanted to give her. And a woman was returning something and I can't remember, but it had to do with the phone. They wanted to give her a refund, but not on her credit. I can't remember how it was, but she's like I don't have a smartphone. Oh, I think I had to have a smartphone to show a QR code to do the return.
Speaker 1:Think about when you go to Whole Foods or Kohl's or wherever you do your Amazon returns, you need a QR code. We are giving all these companies are using our phone to do their work. Now John said to me I would be happy to take a smartphone. Is someone going to give me a thousand dollars to buy one? And he's right. Think about how much we spend. We spend more on a smartphone than you do on a computer these days. So again, this is a problem.
Speaker 1:With a smartphone, I can see my grandkids' faces. I don't have any, even if they're halfway across the world, and I know that that's how a lot of people feel. So that's the connection. The connection that we feel is that we can see people if we want. I don't do a lot of FaceTiming. I know people do, because I hate it. I'm out in the world doing my thing and everybody's on FaceTime, talking on speakerphone. Doesn't that just drive you nuts?
Speaker 1:Well, anyways, they're used for health. Phones track our steps, remind us to take our meds, even keep our doctors, just to tap away. Independents want to pay bills, bank online, get your prescriptions delivered. Boom, it's right there. Safety, gps you get lost. Siri will bring you home you fall. Some smartphones can call for help. I'll tell you. If you have an Apple watch, they will. Basically, they're like a security blanket, except they also tell you the weather and how many calories are in a slice of cheesecake. Spoiler alert too many calories. So they do matter for us. They matter for connection, health, independence and safety. But it doesn't mean everybody's going to have one, nor does it mean that everybody is going to be able to afford one. What are the struggles? Because there definitely are struggles attached to this. With all the benefits, smartphones also make us crazy Fonts they are so small I need binoculars to read text messages. Well, newsflash, you can make your fonts bigger.
Speaker 1:Password everything requires a password with numbers, letters, symbols and possibly a blood sample. But by the time I remember it, the website tells me it's expired. Today, smartphones, when you put in a password, ask you if you want it to be saved. Say yes, it's securely saved, because I know everybody worries about security.
Speaker 1:Autocorrect Autocorrect, I feel like, has gotten even worse. I once tried to text I'm bringing dessert and I sent I'm bringing desert. My poor friend thought I was showing up with sand and a camel. Yeah, you know, but I I've noticed in the updates especially with the iPhone 15 and 16, that auto correct is even more sensitive. It's driving me nuts, to be honest. Updates Just when you finally figured out how to use your phone, it changes everything. The buttons move, the icons change and suddenly your camera app is hiding like a teenager who doesn't want to clean their room. All right.
Speaker 1:So what I'm going to say about that is I don't know about any other phones. I only know Apple phones. I've been an Apple person since 1990. My first computer was Apple. Everything I've ever had is Apple. Craig has bought me every gadget iPod, you name it, I've had it. The Apple store has free classes everyone. So if you have an Apple store near you, go online sign up. If you don't want to sign up, just go in. Ask if someone can help you with your phone. They are very helpful there, they are very kind and they can help you. I am also going to put on my website for this podcast. It's called agingainforcissiespodcastcom Again agingainforcissies podcastcom. Again aging eight for sissies podcastcom. I am going to put.
Speaker 1:My friend Mary said she found a YouTube video that gave really simple explanations on things. So I'm going to send. I'm going to put the link to that video on my website and you all can access this YouTube video. I have not watched it yet myself, but my friend Mary recommends it very highly. Simple, explained language. She was able to stop the video. I believe the video talks about iPads, but iPads, smartphones, iphones are similar enough that I think it would be helpful. He may have other videos If he is good at explaining. As Mary says, it seems like all his videos would be helpful. He may have other videos If he is good at explaining, as Mary says. It seems like all his videos would be good. So there you have it.
Speaker 1:Social media it's supposed to be fun, but half the time it feels like everyone's bragging about their perfect lives while you just pound. You're just proud you figured out how to post a photo without a thumb covering the lens, so it could feel that way. I enjoy social media. I use it for the social and the fun factor. I like to see what's going on in my nieces and nephews and sisters and brothers lives. I some posts, some don't. I do enjoy it. It does keep me connected to family and that is the part of social media I enjoy. And things are funny. There's funny cab videos and with AI, things are getting funnier and funnier.
Speaker 1:Make your phone work for you. Increase the text size yes, you can do that. Make those words big enough so you don't need a magnifying glass it can. There are so many features on these phones and I'm a feature junkie and I am a junkie of all things like that and I don't even know them all. They're all there. If you need something, it's on your phone.
Speaker 1:Use voice command Siri. Google assistant Alexa Okay, maybe not Alexa, she's nosy and she just woke up. Alexa, I'm just doing a podcast. Go back to sleep. I'm not quite sure how to help you with that. Yeah well, you don't need to help me today. Thank you, but these assistants can call your kids, set reminders, even tell you bad jokes, and that is a fact I use for reminders. I use the Amazon one. I don't want to say her name, she shall remain nameless.
Speaker 1:At the moment, I use her for everything. I just stand in my kitchen and make my shopping list by voice and she adds it all to the list. When I get to the store, I open the app and there's my list. I have a list for Costco. I have a list for CVS. I have a list for the regular grocery store. I also have a list of everything I have to do before I go on a trip. It's my travel list and I check it off and then they're all there and I can have them put back on the list. It's a reusable list. These are all really great things. List. It's a reusable list. These are all really great things.
Speaker 1:Simplify your home screen. You don't need 92 apps. I only have one home screen. It only has the apps that I use on it. Put the important ones up front phone text, camera, maybe weather hide the rest in a folder called stuff. I don't understand. You don't even need to do that anymore. It's back there in your library and all I do is put in the search what app I'm looking for and it pops up. I keep the daily ones on the front and the rest are all tucked away.
Speaker 1:Don't be afraid to learn. There are classes, youtube tutorials, even grandkids who, after rolling their eyes, will still show you how to use and send an emoji. It's never too late to learn new tricks. And hey, we've lived through dial-up internet. We can survive anything. Isn't that the truth? Remember that, yeah, we survived it. If one more app moves its buttons after an update, I'm moving into the woods. Yes, your apps will move. Things will go Seriously. One day the delete button is on the right, the next day it's on the left. It's kind of like the grocery store. They feel the need to constantly move things around.
Speaker 1:I don't have time for hide and seek with my phone. Okay, I love taking selfies, so I'm not going to bag on the selfies. I enjoy videoing my life. I enjoy posting my life. I enjoy posting my life. I have a lot of people watch it, so I figure they must enjoy it too. But you know what? We seniors, we've survived phones attached to walls. We've survived phone books thicker than bricks. If I can survive calling long distance after 7 PM, remember those days and then remember when we had to put in all those numbers from AT&T to get our best deal. So if we survive long distance after 7 PM to save money, I can survive a software update.
Speaker 1:So here's the bottom line. Smartphones are here to stay. They're not going anywhere and, honestly, they're not the enemy. They're tools, powerful tools, and the more you use them, the more independent, safe and connected we stay. Sure, they'll drive us a little nuts, but hey, so does aging and we're rocking that too. So don't be afraid of your smartphone. Play with it, learn from it, yell at it if you have to, it can take it. And remember if we can raise kids, run households, survive disco bell bottoms and questionable casseroles made with Jell-O. We can absolutely figure out how to FaceTime. Until next time. This is Aging. E for Sissy. Stay sassy, stay connected and don't let autocorrect ruin your reputation. And go out there and do something.
