How can you even become tech-savvy? Is it even possible? There are constant changes in the world; in fact, there are new changes in technology every day. AI art has only been around for just a couple of months, and it’s always exploding all around the world. But it’s not even just that. Because of AI robots, there are more changes now than ever at incredibly quick rates. It’s honestly amazing how quickly everything is changing and what’s happening.
So, with these changes, is it even possible to become tech-savvy and even stay that way? Well, the good news is yes, yes, you can! If you want to know more about how you can make some of these changes so you can become the tech guru in your family, or even want to be independent enough to at least not ask for any more help, then keep reading on!
What Does Tech Savvy Even Mean?
For the most part, it means being able to handle technology such as a phone or computer fairly easily. You don’t need to know how to do advanced things such as looking into the DDOS of your device, but knowing how to fix common problems like “Scratch Disk Full” Photoshop error, is something that honestly helps a lot. It’s about being tech literate and having a general understanding.
Start By Looking into Clubs and Classes
While these sound fairly old school, you can never ever go wrong with them. Whether it is your smartwatch, smartphone, or any other technology product, learning about how to use it better will make your life easier. Some of these classes and clubs are free; for others, there may be a fee. For the most part, these are offered in the evening at community colleges, rec centers, libraries, and some other communal spaces as well for people. Overall, these can be a nice way to learn as the sole intention of these is to get less tech-savvy people together and learn at their own pace.
Consider Seminars
While this isn’t going to be a step-by-step teaching as you’d get in a class, this could still very well be something that could prove to be beneficial. These are group meetings that focus on a particular topic and are led by experts. They usually have small class sizes and active learning methods, which makes them more suitable for topics that aren’t so easy to learn in a lecture format. Seminars also allow you to ask your tutor questions and receive one-to-one support on any issues you may have. It’s really going to depend on the seminar itself. In general, this can be a way to help you learn, and you might even be able to grow some passion for a niche in tech because of this too.
Go the Old Fashion Route: Books
Just as in-person classes can be fairly old school, books are even older. But you just can’t go wrong with a book, at least most of the time. It’s obviously going to depend on what you want to learn and how old the book is. Needless to say, a book about Windows 2000 isn’t going to help you learn how to work your way around an Apple iPhone. But generally speaking, books can be a very nice way to get yourself to learn a topic in a more relaxed manner. Nowadays, ebooks might be your best bet as the authors will try to keep these updated as much as possible.
Stick with YouTube
The “magnum opus,” the leader, and one of the best ways to learn nearly anything, you have YouTube. Sure, there are websites like SkillShare that can help you learn, but they just don’t compare to the passion that YouTube creators have. You get to learn for free, you can be a part of a community, and you get to embrace something new while being entertained. Whether it’s old gear, new gear, or even needed a simple tutorial for troubleshooting software, you’re bound to find something on YouTube.
While YouTube is an excellent learning platform, it’s important to be careful about what you’re watching. Many videos aren’t worth your time, and you may be exposed to inappropriate content if you choose the wrong ones. It can be unfortunate, but this is something that’s very important to note as well.
Don’t Be Ashamed to Ask Questions
Chances are, one of the main reasons why you want to become tech-savvy would be the fact that you just no longer want to ask people for help or ask questions. Some people, maybe even your kids, could get annoyed with all of this. It’s understandable to see why, plus you want to learn some independence too, especially since phones and other technology will forever be a part of life. But sometimes, you just shouldn’t feel bad or ashamed to ask questions.
You want to learn; you’re trying to give yourself the opportunity to learn. So make sure to give this to yourself. When asking questions, it’s helpful to do your research ahead of time so that you know what type of information you need to gather. This will ensure that your next question is clear and prompts the best possible response. Overall, you’ll know more information, you’re proving to yourself you’re trying, and it’s going to help that you will know what you’re talking about too.
Always Start Off Small
In the end, when you’re on the journey of becoming more tech-savvy, you’ll need to start off small. When you’re learning or trying to improve anything, it’s really all about starting off small to get yourself to improve. This makes it easier to accomplish small goals and avoid overwhelm. When it comes to tech, this is especially true when you’re trying to learn something new. There are too many options and too much information out there to try them all at once. In the end, just keep encouraging yourself and stay confident because you’ll get exactly where you want to be in no time!