NEW MEDIA MATTERS: Taking control in the digital age

I sense fewer baby boomers hiding behind a transparent wall of indignation about being forced to function in a world run by technology. Of course this indignation is, and always was, a ruse to hide fear, insecurity and what is often viewed as a loss of human control. Face it, we all succumb.

The industrial age created the same dreaded phenomena. As humans just doing the best we can every day to get by, we feel diminished when we don't fully comprehend advancements and its complexities. If we can't understand or master a new thing immediately, it poses a threat to our views of the orderly world we have come to count on. It's human nature to fight innovation.

We complain about a new thing's functions, its costs, its frightening potential. We assign all kinds of evil or mystical attributes to this yet-unknown, unlearned thing, such as: "Those dangerous horseless carriages! Those new-fangled, radioactive microwaves. That ridiculous automatic pet potty!"

Time was, people loved to gripe about an impersonal, less authentic world run by computer chips. A world that is devoid of humanity and compassion, constantly threatening our privacy and dignity and bank balances. Yet, emerging technology doesn't directly threaten anything we believe in or hold sacred.

Here's what confident, competent computer natives want us to remember at the base level when working with computers.

1. A computer is a harmless machine with natural elements and materials like gold, iron ore, silica sand, plastics and steel. It's a man-made contraption with no agenda of its own.

2. Your computer is not out to foil you, seduce you, thwart your work, steal your identity or give you cooties. You are in control, so relax.

3. Anything you might want to know or need to know can be found easily by typing a query into a search engine. Examples: How do I upload and save a photo someone has emailed me or does swallowing bubble gum cause appendicitis?

4. You access a search engine (like Yahoo, Google, Bing) by launching a browser program (like Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer). Yes, there is a difference, but does anybody really care?

5. Filing things on a computer isn't confusing. Think to yourself: "Is this an image, a document, a spreadsheet, a play script?" Then ask: "Where exactly do I want (the item) to be placed in my computer so I can easily find it later?" If you don't know how to do the placement part, refer to No. 3 above.

6. A computer is your friend, an extremely well-connected, powerful friend. It can help you with taxes, shed new light on the private lives of your employees, prompt an intellectual discourse, lead you to a Viking horde in coastal Ireland, position you as a genius among your peers, sing to you, locate your soul mate or launch your career. What's not to like?

Paige Henson is a local writer and a new media consultant for businesses and non-profits. Her email address is paigechenson@gmail.com.