A little meaning in a brutal world
When a simple interaction with my neighbor Huguette reminds us that not everything can be understood through technology…
When working in the digital world (note that I didn’t say “le digital” ☝️), we sometimes forget that these virtual worlds aren’t second nature to everyone.
All I have to do is step out my front door, literally, and ring the doorbell at Huguette’s, my neighbor who’s approaching 80. In this case, though, she’s the one knocking on my door: “Mathieu, can you help me? I’d like to use Doctolib.”
I like helping people, and I like Huguette, so “let’s go for it!” Should I do it for her or teach her how? I’ll strike a balance: I’ll install the app for her, since it’s not something she’ll do very often, but I’ll walk her through booking an appointment with her primary care physician. That way, she’ll be more independent and can brag to her friends about “surfing the web.” She was really apprehensive about it, but was surprised to find she managed it without much trouble.
What can we take from this? I don’t know…
The feeling, perhaps, of having been helpful—as much as, if not more than, when I teach functional programming to students, who are at the opposite end of the digital spectrum from Huguette.
It’s also a reminder, if one were still needed, that computers are there to make our daily lives easier. Huguette didn’t want to go on Doctolib; she wanted to make an appointment with her doctor. Technology isn’t an end in itself.
And a reminder that our worldviews, the way she and I perceive the world, are very different yet complementary. Huguette doesn’t shop online, yet her world is no less beautiful and rich than mine. After all, what really matters? I’ll leave it to you to answer that. So, these virtual worlds that make up our daily lives suddenly seem very… relative to me.
More broadly, this anecdote is just one example among many of what’s known as the digital divide. What would be the point of developing such ingenious solutions if it means leaving our elders behind? It reminds me of an SNCF slogan: “Progress is only worthwhile if it is shared by all” (a slogan that, before becoming the motto of the French national railway company, was a quote from Aristotle).
The realization that there are things to be done goes hand in hand with a personal desire to take on new challenges. Oh, I know, some people didn’t wait for me; they’re already talking about the silver economy. I’m sharing this anecdote because it echoes much older personal reflections: the importance of connection, especially intergenerational connection, and the desire, the irrepressible need to do things that have meaning… A little meaning in a brutal world!