Most people under 65 years old have computer skills from their work or just personal buying habits. Many older than 65 that never used computers at work are now in trouble. In a drive to reduce labor costs, most companies have turned to automation. If you try to call your bank, you will go through telephone hell in an attempt to reach a live body. If you don't give up and push the right buttons, eventually you might get to a live body; but don't count on it. And, you can forget about getting help at the bank. They will refer you to their website. Let's face it. Companies have made it very difficult to get to a live body because they don't want the expense.
This has really become apparent trying to set up an appointment for a Covid vaccine shot. The first groups eligible are those over 65 years old many of whom don't even have computers. Some counties have set up 800 numbers to make appointments for those that cannot do it over the Internet. But in many cases, setting up an appointment involves putting an App on your cell phone. If you don't have an IPhone allowing you to do so to get texts, you are out of luck.
So, if you are one of those old dogs who refuses to learn new tricks, you better ask a friend or relative to assist you. This is only going to get worse. Or, if you don't want to depend on others, you will have to buy a cheap computer and get Internet connectivity in your home. This will add to your cable cost; but it is what it is. Then you will need to get some lessons on how to use the computer to go on websites to get things done. A friend or relative should be able to teach you enough to become reasonably proficient. You will get frustrated, guaranteed. You will need a user name and password to access any company site. You will have to set that up once for each company and write it down because you will not remember all of them.
None of this is going away. If you want to remain independent for as long as possible, you will need to develop basic computer skills. Failure to do so means dependency. So decide which option you prefer.
