Talking to some of the elderly lot is like navigating through a maze of emotions, each on an entirely different wavelength. I can’t help but ponder on a particular aspect of life that often leaves me feeling both amused and exasperated: teaching technology to the elderly.

Have you ever attempted to introduce your elderly loved ones to smart phones or iPads? If so, you know exactly what I mean. It’s like trying to teach a goldfish how to ride a bicycle — entertaining, but ultimately futile.

Picture this: Mama, holding an iPad like it’s a precious heirloom she’s afraid to break, her eyes full of wonder and confusion. “How do I make it stop talking to me?” she asks, her finger hovering over the screen.

You patiently explain, for the umpteenth time, that it’s just Siri who is there only to help. But Mama, bless her heart, is convinced Siri is some mischievous girl trapped inside the device, ready to play tricks on her.

Then there’s Dad, who proudly announces at the dinner table that he’s finally mastered the art of texting. You glance at his screen and find a jumble of letters that resemble hieroglyphics more than words. “It’s the new shorthand,” he explains with a grin, as if he’s cracked some secret code.

And their commitment to finding the most relevant emoji, to convey the exact sentiment — what’s that about?

But it’s not just the technological hiccups that make teaching the elderly so amusing; it’s their unwavering determination to understand. Add in a dash of stubbornness.

“You see, back in my day, we didn’t need all these fancy gadgets,” says Dad, waving his phone. “We announced when we will return home and return we did, on time. No questions asked.”

And then there are the endless questions, each one more baffling than the last. “How do I download the internet?” Mama asks, her brow furrowed in concentration. You try to explain that the internet is already there, but she remains sceptical. “But where is it stored? In the cloud?”

Trying to teach technology to the elderly is like playing a never-ending game of 20 questions, where the answers range from the mundane to the utterly absurd. But amid the frustration and laughter, there’s a tinge of sadness. Watching our elderly struggle to adapt to the rapidly changing world of technology makes us realise just how fleeting our own grasp on the modern world may be.

It’s a sobering thought, imagining ourselves in their shoes, grappling with devices that seem to have a mind of their own. Will we too become relics of a bygone era, clinging to our outdated gadgets like lifelines in the chaos of progress?

As I watch Mama attempt to take a selfie, I can’t help but feel a pang of apprehension. Will I be just as helpless when I’m her age? Will I too be left behind by the relentless march of technology?

But then, just as quickly as the melancholy sets in, it’s washed away by a wave of laughter. Because despite the struggles and frustrations, there’s something undeniably heartwarming about watching the elderly embrace the unfamiliar with such gusto.

So, here’s to Mama and Dad, with their outdated flip phones and their baffling questions. May they continue to navigate the digital world with grace and humour, teaching us all a valuable lesson in resilience along the way.

As for me, well, I’ll just keep patiently explaining how to download the internet. Who knows, maybe, one day Mama will finally get it?

Sara Danial is the head of content at a communications agency