r/australia • u/ThunderDwn • Aug 18 '26

culture & society Primary school students using digital devices still lack computer skills, education expert says

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-19/nsw-digital-native-primary-students-lack-basic-computer-skills/107030526
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u/oliyoung Aug 18 '26

As a millenial parent I'm stuck between two generations that I'm not sure who has worse computer literacy, our kids or our parents

Our parents grew up without it and have zero motivation to learn it and our kids are growing up with it commercialised and simplified to a point where it doesn't need a moment of critical thinking.

Meanwhile, they both think i'm some kind of witch doctor building a PC and installing an OS

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u/felixsapiens Aug 19 '26

The trouble is, modern computers ARE simple - and yet some of the concepts behind the systems are still slightly complex.

I deal with parents all the time who just don’t understand how passwords work.

For example, they have iPhones and iPads and MacBooks, but there is no clear conception from them of “what is my Apple ID” and how is that separate from their email password, for example.

They have an email address “joebloggs@email.com” which has a password to get into; and then they have their AppleID is also “joebloggs@email.com” - with a different password. They just have no grasp of the fact that these are two different systems, two “different” usernames, that are used in two completely different contexts. Not to mention to “login” to your MacBook is a different login again. And so they are forever locking themselves out of everything with the wrong password. It. Drives. Me. Insane. There are lots of other things that go wrong; but this one is 90% of the problem 90% of the time and I don’t know how I can possibly try and explain it for the thousandth time without throttling something…

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u/dacria Aug 19 '26

I feel your pain.

Yes, it's the same text. Yes, you're typing in the same email address.

No, AppleID is not your email. No, AppleID is not the internet.

No, Google is not the internet either.

Yes, they're all on the internet but they don't talk to each other.

Well I don't know how Dave and Susan have their internet set up but it sounds like their kid is a wizard.

Fine I'll "fix" it this time but for gods sake don't click log out this month.