Technology is constantly changing. Our phones become obsolete every 2 years or so, and our laptops only last about 5 years. There’s always a new app, device or social media platform to get used to, and it doesn’t seem like technological advancements will be slowing any time soon.

For generations who grew up without the internet and smartphones, it can seem impossible to master even basic tech skills. So some people simply choose not to! Below, you’ll find photos of some of the funniest technological fails people have shared of their parents around the web. From using their devices in creative ways to completely misunderstanding the purpose of certain technology, enjoy scrolling through these funny pics, and be sure to upvote the ones that remind you of your own parents!

#1 My Friend’s Mom’s Phone

Image credits: LunaVerda

#2 Walked In On My Dad Using A Magnifying Glass To Read Text On His iPhone

My dad doesn’t know how to zoom in on his iPhone. This is how he reads his texts and emails.

Image credits: kellalyne

#3 This Is Brilliant

Image credits: stephenjmolloy

Technically, mobile phones have been in existence since 1973, when Motorola unveiled the 0G or Zero Generation phones. But as you can imagine, they’ve come a long way since then. The first cell phone that I remember my mother having was a tiny flip phone with an even tinier camera. Texting required pressing each button up to 3 times to get the correct letter that you’re looking for, and using the internet was technically possible but excruciating and expensive.

The internet has also been around for quite a while at this point, as many people consider its “birthday” to be January 1, 1983. Back then, however, it was obviously very different than how it is today. We didn’t get Google until 1998, YouTube until 2005, and the idea of spending hours and hours online each day was absurd a few decades ago. But today, the average person spends nearly 7 hours a day on the internet.

#4 Perhaps She Wanted To Listen To Some Electric Music

Image credits: RSTYCG

#5 My Father’s PC, Ladies And Gentlemen

Image credits: PiercedAngel96

#6 My Parents Watch TV Without Moving The Mouse

Image credits: nickyeeee

Considering how drastically technology has changed over the past few decades, it should come as no surprise that older generations often struggle to keep up with these changes. I’m Gen Z, and the idea of learning how to utilize AI technology like ChatGPT sounds overwhelming to me. So I imagine that it must be strange to have grown up without access to the internet at all and to now live in a time with smartphones, smart watches, AI, unlimited access to news and more.

It’s easy to laugh at our elders when they use electronics in questionable ways and don’t understand how to accomplish simple tasks like taking screenshots and printing out recipes. But in only a few decades, we might be just as technologically illiterate. So it’s best to be patient and understanding with our parents and grandparents and try to slowly teach them how to use technology to make their lives easier.    

#7 Photos I Take Of My Mom vs. Photos She Takes Of Me

Image credits: katieslabyrinth

#8 My Dad Never Takes The Stickers Off Of His Things And He Yells At Me If I Touch Them

Image credits: Purple_Banana77

#9 Me: “Mom, What Is That On Your iPhone?”, My Mom: “Oh, I Needed To Remember My Friend’s Phone Number”

Image credits: jesshanebury

If you’re a millennial or zoomer who’s interested in helping your parents or grandparents get accustomed to the latest technology, Papa Inc. has some recommendations on their site for bringing these older generations into the 21st century. First, they note the importance of addressing security concerns before sending seniors out into the Wild West of the world wide web. Scams and fraud run rampant online, and many perpetrators target older, less technologically savvy individuals. They must all know not to talk to strangers on the phone or provide any personal information online. And of course, don’t click on random links!    

#10 I Went Home To My Parents’ House And Found This Adapter Monstrosity Behind The TV

Image credits: talminator101

#11 That Is Hilarious

Image credits: LxMo

#12 This Phone My Dad Left On Charge For 4 Months

Image credits: robotsandtoast

It’s wise to take it slowly when teaching older generations about new technology too. Things that may seem extremely simple to you can be complex for them, and there’s no point in teaching a loved one if it’s only going to overwhelm them and stress them out. Go slowly, and be patient. Answer all the questions they have, and don’t make them feel dumb for asking whatever questions come up. Try not to overload them with information; there’s no rush to learning! 

#13 My Mother’s Desktop

Image credits: camfruitshoot

#14 My Mom Thought My Controller Would Be A Good Birthday Cake Decoration And It’s Not Coming Off

Don’t worry though, I still love my mom.

Image credits: Distinct_Programmer4

#15 My Dad Printed Out A Text Conversation. My Mom Was Looking For A Recipe, So My Dad Texted My Brother And Printed Out The Response In This 170-Point Font

Image credits: metalmolly

Papa Inc. also recommends keeping notes and writing down things that can help seniors have an easier time online. Write down their passwords, important email addresses and websites they’ll want to visit frequently. Provide them with instructions for how to get to these sites when you’re not around, and write down the answers to any questions you ask so they’ll be easily accessible in the future. It’s hard to remember everything at once, and seniors will likely feel more comfortable if they have something physical they can rely on, such as a notepad or piece of paper. 

#16 My Mom’s Emails. Unreal

Image credits: catsoverhumand

#17 I Asked My Mom What She Did With My USB Mouse. She Replied, “I’m Charging It”. She Was Serious

Image credits: reddit.com

#18 My Mom’s Staying For Thanksgiving. She Wanted To Make Tea But Instead Of Asking For Help With The Electric Kettle She Microwaved My ‎Rechargeable, Self-Heating Mug And Caught It On Fire

$200 down the drain.

Image credits: teajoeytristian

Your senior parents and grandparents probably won’t be using the internet the exact same way you do, so if you’re teaching them how to use tech, be sure to consider what they will want to do. They might not need TikTok and Instagram on their smartphones, but they might like to have a few games and news apps. And remember to adapt their devices to their needs. Make font sizes larger, and show them how to use voice text. They might also prefer using voice controls to typing, so make sure they know how to program their devices to make them as user friendly as possible.  

#19 I Was Helping My Mom Set The Alarm When I Noticed That Her Stopwatch Had Been Running For Quite A While

Image credits: grafino

#20 My Mom Is Really Good With Technology

Image credits: jlamb4415

#21 My Friend’s Mom Photocopied Her Phone For Some Recipes

Image credits: rottnzonie

When it comes to smartphones in particular, Business Insider recommends a few ways that we can program seniors’ devices to make them more accessible. Aside from increasing font sizes and display sizes, it’s also possible to increase contrast, bold text and more. You can even make the keyboard larger on smartphone screens. Helping seniors organize their home screen can be useful too. Place everything that they need easily visible, and uninstall anything they won’t use to eliminate confusion.     

#22 My Mom Posted A Valentine’s Message On Facebook, But The Computer Was Logged On To My Dad’s Account, So It Looks Like My Dad Posted A Valentine’s Message To… Himself

Image credits: anthonyocampo

#23 He Works In A Factory But Clearly Doesn’t Dust

Image credits: jackofallgames7

#24 My Mom Said That It Once Shocked Her When She Plugged It In

Image credits: GeroX13

Setting up favorites can be helpful for seniors’ phones too. On iPhones, users can pin contacts in the Messages app to make them easily accessible, and you can even make a Favorites section in your contacts. You can also select custom ringtones for specific contacts, so seniors will know exactly who is calling without even needing to look at their phone screen. And don’t forget to add medical information and emergency contacts into seniors’ phones to ensure they can easily be found in the event of an emergency.  

#25 Mom Using Her Car’s Phone Holder For Written Driving Directions

Image credits: TheBikeWhisperer

#26 My Dad Plays The Xbox With It Closed And He Wonders Why It Randomly Turns Off. I Told Him It Was Overheating, But He Didn’t Listen To Me

Image credits: Xfluid

#27 I Have Parents, So I’m Basically Tech Support 24/7. But Today, This Masterpiece

Image credits: jimhejl

Whether you’re a senior who knows how to use technology well or you’re a millennial whose parents struggle to use smartphones, we hope you’re enjoying these pics, pandas. Technology can be extremely hard to learn! And even if we think we know everything now, there will always be more to learn in the future. Keep upvoting the pics you find particularly funny, and then you can check out even more funny technological fails from Bored Panda right here!

#28 My Mum Is Using Her Laptop In The Rain On The Beach

Image credits: AloneRefrigerator789

#29 My Dad Wanted To Copy My Mom’s Shopping List Onto His Phone

Image credits: Sir_Adian

#30 Went Home For Christmas, My Dad Finally Got Reading Glasses And Used The Sticker To Cover Up A Notification On His Phone He Couldn’t Get Rid Of

Image credits: midskycollision

#31 My Dad Put Toothpaste On His Phone Because The Screen Cracked And He Believed One Of Those Life-Hack Videos

Image credits: high_in_school

#32 I Gave My Mom A Smartwatch For Mother’s Day. She Plugged The Micro USB End Of Her Phone Charger Into The USB-A Plug Of The Watch Charger And Said: “I Didn’t Know, It Fits!”

Image credits: lars2k1

#33 My Mom Likes To Keep The Plastic On Her Desktop

Image credits: audrykk

#34 My Dad Wanted To Share Something He Found On The Internet With Me

Image credits: protean_shake

#35 My Mom And Aunt Went Up To The Cottage And Called Asking For Help Because They Wanted To Screen Mirror A Movie And It Wasn’t Working

I asked them to take a picture of what they were doing and they sent me this.

Image credits: sushicats

#36 This Is How My Dad Set Up His TV… If Anyone Ever Flames Me Again For My Stream Setup, You Know Where I Got It From

Image credits: Naguura

#37 Student Spilled Nail Polish On A Computer. Mother Tried To Clean It And Washed Off 26 Keys

Image credits: SpicyBoyCam

#38 My Dad’s Router At His Workplace

Image credits: Fusional_Gaming

#39 My Mom Bought Me A Micro SD Card From A Garage Sale. She Knew I Was Looking For A Larger One For My Phone

Image credits: sardu1

#40 I Think My Mum May Be The Only Person Who Prints Her Snapchat Pictures

Image credits: tpowpow

#41 My Mom Just Sent Me A Pic Of Her Dog From Her New iPad. Here’s One Of The Other “Recipients”. Technology Is Hard

Image credits: jherrm

#42 My Mother Wanted To Remove The SIM From Her Phone

Image credits: Fabio1303_

#43 Perfect Timing

Image credits: kelvin_goertzen

#44 My Dad Dropped His Laptop, And This Is How He’s Fixing It

Image credits: ernsto305

#45 My Parents Insist On Having The TV On A Wall That Gets Blasted With Glare

My parents set up their TV on a wall that gets hit on 2 sides with natural light. This is with the shades down at 5:00 PM, it actually gets worse than this midday and they refuse to get blackout curtains or anything.

Image credits: tyler_durden2021

#46 My Mom Asked, Why Her Laptop Wouldn’t Let Her Import Those Photos

Image credits: mr_moosejr

#47 How My Parents Store Their DVDs

Image credits: trashfoxx_

#48 My Mom’s Phone

Image credits: Kings712

#49 My Dad Called Me Last Night Saying That He Thinks He Has A Virus On His Laptop Because Some Kind Of Flower Showed Up On His Screen. Today He Sent Me This Picture

Image credits: Imminent_Fate

#50 My Mom Is Very Bad With Technology, And She Finally Upgraded From Her iPhone 4S To An iPhone 7

Image credits: TK503

Source: boredpanda.com