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Not everyone was born Steve Jobs. In a world ruled by technology and social media, many people find themselves struggling to keep up with increasingly elaborate electronics. The elderly are taking tips from their “tech-savvy kids,” and our moms are figuring out how to upload Instagram stories, which is both a bless… I mean, a curse, really.
But hey, who am I to judge when there are still some people who are so clueless about seemingly basic tech things like chargers, ad blockers, and electric kettles? Bored Panda has compiled a painfully cringy list of some of the most absurd fails in the land of electronics that will make tech ed classics great again.
After you're done reading this post, be sure to check out our previous lists with the worst software fails, older people struggling with technology, and tech support people sharing the nightmare fails they've encountered.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
“The Printer Isn’t Working”
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
Technician: Problem in paper transport from paper tray due to loading paper in a non-standard way. Repair costs: $250.
RELATED:
#2
This Is How My Auntie Blocks Ads From Her Computer Screen
#3
Oh, Dear, Dad Tried To Print A Video
troufaki13 3 years ago
I wonder how he thought this was gonna go... like how does it come out if you print a video? Is it like when you draw a sequence of pictures at the bottom corner of a book and then flip through so it seems like it's moving?
Lexi Mitchell 3 years ago
I think he might’ve been trying to print something in the video. It says it’s “tabs”, might’ve basically been sheet music at the point it’s paused.
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WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
Just be happy it didn't work. That would have been 10470 pages if he'd print 1 frame per page.
Potato o Doom 3 years ago
e----------------- B----------------- G-0---3---5---- D-0---3---5---- A----------------- E----------------- There you go!
Helena Tomé 3 years ago
I also tried to print an image from a video... hahaha. It didn't work and I felt disappointed...
Grady'sRaider 3 years ago
Back in tech school in '82, it was easy to mess up and send a program file to the dot matrix printer. It would print one strange character then a form feed. You had to get to it quick to shut it off. The paper would literally fly out.
François Carré 3 years ago
Well, just burn it above your sink full of water and there you have it.
Pascale Pierloot 3 years ago
This would me my mom's version of watching video's offline...she'ld always print the stuff she found interesting out and store them with her tablet...
John Baker 3 years ago
If you need a tab to figure out Smoke On The Water, maybe guitar isn't really your thing...
Elaine Mattingly 3 years ago
It's called making an effort, trying to learn.
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Patrice Bourget 3 years ago
He could have taken a few screenshots with the snipping tool, though.
Elaine Mattingly 3 years ago
What a mean thing to say. I'm sure he does know how to do things you don't, there isn't always someone there to call on the phone you have no idea how to design and produce.
Load More Replies...With so many people still struggling with technology and electronics that have all become part of our daily lives in recent decades, we can’t help but wonder what went wrong. Should we blame technology education classes nobody looked at seriously? Or is it really a lack of patience when it comes to learning new things? Maybe society itself has left out the older generation, which has become separated due to its failure to employ new technological modes of communication and life?
Experts have many reasons for the phenomenon, but most agree that by creating innovation and pushing tech to its very potential, we have created new problems on the way. For example, Larry Masinter, an internet pioneer, said: “Technology and social innovation intended to overcome the negatives of the digital age will likely cause additional negative consequences. Examples include: the decentralized web, end-to-end encryption, AI and machine learning, social media.”
Meanwhile, Peter Lunenfeld, a professor of design, media arts, and digital humanities at the University of California, Los Angeles, predicts that solutions to these newly emerged problems will create new issues, and we may end up in a vicious loop. “We will use technology to solve the problems the use of technology creates, but the new fixes will bring new issues,” he stated.
#4
End User Had A Heater Next To The PC Which Was Randomly Shutting Off And She Thought She Had Smelled Burning A Couple Of Times. It Is Literally Screaming
#5
My Girlfriend's Grandma Thought The iPad Was A Cutting Board
#6
Technologically Superior
Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago
Holy s**t balls, I decided to count how many tabs I have open and I am up to 94. How the hell did I manage that lol.
According to the chief technology officer of RAD Data Communications, Yaakov J. Stein, the problem lays in our total dependence on the tech world. “The problem is that we are becoming more and more dependent on machines and hence more susceptible to bugs and system failures.”
There are other things inherently flawed in technological advancements, and it has to do with concerning amounts of their exploitation for the wrong purposes. According to a Pew Research report, “Numerous experts described misinformation and fake news as a serious issue in digital spaces. They expressed concern over how users will sort through fact and fiction in the coming decade.”
Yet, many experts believe that it's simply too late to take a step back in the tech world. Our lives have changed beyond recognition thanks to the internet and technology, in many ways for the better. It has made our time more efficient, our jobs more productive, our lives somewhat easier and more intuitive. And in accepting its good features, we may well have to accept its flaws.
#7
Some Karen Raged Into The Apple Store And Asked For A Refund For Her iPhone 5. I Didn’t Listen To The Convo But When I Walked Past I Heard The Manager Asked Her If She Charged It, She Said No
#8
Asked My Dad Why He Was Reading Through The Camera App On His Phone. He Said He Wanted To See What It Would Be Like If I Had A Kindle
#9
My Dad Says, “Google Is Doing This Stupid Thing Where The Blur The Top Left Part Of The Results. Facebook Is Doing It Too Actually.” He Melted The Top Left Corner Of His Screen
#10
Student Uses Light On Phone To Charge Portable Solar Battery So That He Can Charge His Phone
Mohsie Supposie 3 years ago
... when there is a USB port literally right there on the side of the laptop!
#11
I Decided To Upgrade To An Electric Kettle This Week, A Detail I Remembered As It Burst Into Flames On The Gas Stove
#12
Should I Tell My Mom She's Supposed To Take The iPad Out Of The Box?
#13
I Set Up A Lock Screen App That Takes A Photo If You Put The Password In Wrong Trying To Catch My Daughter On My Phone. I've Only Caught Myself So Far Mostly First Thing In The Morning
#14
I Couldn’t Find My Phone But It Was Connected To The Bluetooth So I Figured It Was Somewhere In... Or Out Of The Car
#15
iPhone X That Came Into The Shop Today. Customer Said “I’ve Never Dropped It In Water”
#16
My Dad's Way Of Transferring Pictures
#17
Saw My Mom's Phone, And Investigated. She Used The Screen Protector's Throwaway Film Instead Of The Actual Screen Protector
#18
I Need Somewhere To Set This Candle. Oh Here’s A Good Spot
#19
My Mother-In-Law Keeps Complaining That Her Kindle Wouldn’t Charge
#20
Dad Accidentally Turned Off Keyboard Backlighting And Couldn’t See The Keys
#21
My Professor Got Bored In Class So She Went On Facebook. She Really Didn't Seem To Notice Her Laptop Was Still Connected To The Projector
Zlaxcat Youtube 3 years ago
While I was doing online school my teacher said us to get on with the work, but forgot to stop presenting her screen and started typing to some people over Messenger.
#22
Nothing Like Pulling Out A Warm Pillow Out Of The Dryer Right Before Bedtime
#23
Don't Ask Me
Mohsie Supposie 3 years ago
I like my marshmallows without any creases! Flat marshmallows is the way to go!
#24
Customer Brought In This iMac For Not Powering On. This Is How He Apparently Uses It
For further context: I'm 99% sure the customer has been running his iMac with the shipping plastic in place since 2015, including on the bottom covering the vents, as there's airflow patterns of dust and certain areas where the plastic has melted/deformed; note the scotch tape ON the plastic covering the camera.
EDIT: Just called the customer and asked/confirmed the plastic has been in place; "I guess that's why I hear the fans ramp up!" And he wants to keep the plastic in place, lol. But I got him to agree to at least let me clip the bottom portion so it no longer wraps around the vents.
#25
Wondered Why One Of My Earbuds Wasn't Going In The Charging Case
#26
My Sister Was Putting On Her Make Up In Front Of A Window And The Mirror She Was Using Burnt A Hole In Her Screen
Mohsie Supposie 3 years ago
Ok that could be an honest mistake, but I'm sure she still felt really silly!
#27
Ripped Off What I Thought Was Protective Plastic From A New Monitor. It Was The Polarizing Film
#28
I Was Really Pleased To Find That My Left-Behind Charger Had Arrived In The Mail. Because I Am My Own Worst Enemy, I Hastily Opened The Package With Scissors
#29
My Dad Photocopied His Phone To Use A Money Off Voucher
#30
Candle Was Super Fragrant Last Night. Now I Know Why
#31
Customer Came In With His iPhone, His Glass Cracked, He Thought He Could Peel Off The Glass So He Wouldn't Notice The Crack Anymore
#32
Found Out My Toaster Can Work As A Timer, Even When Not Plugged In. Now I Have To Wait Another 20 Minutes To Find Out How Good These Fish Sticks Are
Mohsie Supposie 3 years ago
Manual timers tend to be spring loaded, not electrical. Just like a wind-up clock.
#33
"But I Like It This Way, It's Convenient" - My Tech Savvy Aunt
#34
Thermostat Had Hardly Worked All Winter, A Friend Suggested I Open It And Look For A Switch
#35
Xerox Fault Error 072-210
#36
Obviously Scatterbrained Today, I Put A Laundry Detergent Pod In The Dishwasher
Mohsie Supposie 3 years ago
You can make up for it by putting a dishwasher tab in the laundry. Job done!
#37
Brother Couldn’t Figure Out Why His Wi-Fi Signal Was Terrible
#38
Just Found Out Why My Mom's Laptop Wasn’t Charging
#39
Broken Clip? No Problem
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
And next they'll complain that their network connection is so effing slow.
#40
If You Spill Acetone On Your Table, Make Sure You Clean It All Up
#41
"It's Hard To Hear People Unless I'm On Speakerphone"
#42
My Mom Using A Magnifying Glass To See My Phone Better. Love Her To Death But She's Not The Best With Technology
#43
Girlfriend Turned The New Iron On Without Checking The Bottom. She Turned It Into A Boiling Plastic Spreader
#44
Spent 10 Minutes Looking For The Drip Tray For The Forman Grill, After I Turned It On
#45
I Can’t Figure Out How To Get On To Netflix
Henry Cheves 3 years ago
Hey I have that remote! You can also press the button between Netflix and Amazon to show you your entire array of apps.
#46
My Sister Unplugged My 3D Printer With Only A Few Layers Left On This 20 Hour Print
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
You didn't have a sign "Do not disconnect this plug"? ( Wouldn't have changed a thing though...)
#47
My Wife Washed My USB Drive Because It Was "Sticky"
#48
My Mom Didn't Know How To Take A Screenshot So She Improvised With The Scanner
#49
My Dad Didn’t Realize You Could Screen Record Videos
Zlaxcat Youtube 3 years ago
Maybe the version of the phone doesn't have built in screen record ?
Add New Image
What do you think ?
CrunChewy McSandybutt 3 years ago
I'm amazed at how many people keep flames and other hot things on and around their expensive tech.
BlackPearltheSeaWing/NightWing 3 years ago
Some of the people on this post made some pretty horrible comments...
Wandaluzt 3 years ago
They really really didn't. Some people think they've a right to 'cover comments' that are perfectly fine. Who do you actually think you are? The upvote down vote buttons are there for people to express their opinions on comments. They don't need you and your juvenile friends making out you're doing some kind of service to people when you attempt to censor comments. All you actually do is make people go look for them to see what they were. I hate to think how easily you're offended in real life. It's not healthy.
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Heather Atwood 3 years ago
It's a good thing parents don't make fun of their children when they are learning to walk or talk or eat or tie their shoes or USE THE TOILET!!!
Elizabeth Butler 3 years ago
Some of us don't know how to do things like take screen shots on a phone or other things like that. I have noticed that we are expected to automatically KNOW a lot of stuff when handed a new piece of tech, no one shows us, we are not given instructions.
Cactuar Jon 3 years ago
I used to work right next to the IT department at my last job. There was a guy they dealt with who didn't know how to use paint to edit images, so he would screenshot, print, then manually draw/write/tipex out any changes and then scan it back in lol
CrunChewy McSandybutt 3 years ago
I'm amazed at how many people keep flames and other hot things on and around their expensive tech.
BlackPearltheSeaWing/NightWing 3 years ago
Some of the people on this post made some pretty horrible comments...
Wandaluzt 3 years ago
They really really didn't. Some people think they've a right to 'cover comments' that are perfectly fine. Who do you actually think you are? The upvote down vote buttons are there for people to express their opinions on comments. They don't need you and your juvenile friends making out you're doing some kind of service to people when you attempt to censor comments. All you actually do is make people go look for them to see what they were. I hate to think how easily you're offended in real life. It's not healthy.
Load More Replies... Heather Atwood 3 years ago
It's a good thing parents don't make fun of their children when they are learning to walk or talk or eat or tie their shoes or USE THE TOILET!!!
Elizabeth Butler 3 years ago
Some of us don't know how to do things like take screen shots on a phone or other things like that. I have noticed that we are expected to automatically KNOW a lot of stuff when handed a new piece of tech, no one shows us, we are not given instructions.
Cactuar Jon 3 years ago
I used to work right next to the IT department at my last job. There was a guy they dealt with who didn't know how to use paint to edit images, so he would screenshot, print, then manually draw/write/tipex out any changes and then scan it back in lol
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