The Darkness of the Interwebs

100. 7 October 2021

When I’m struggling with something online –

Googling the wrong questions, YouTubing the wrong answers,

I keep doing the usual Old Fart trick

Of asking everybody young I know, in case they know,

But so vast is the internet, they usually don’t

(or pretend they don’t so they don’t have to try and explain.)

*

What they have is a different attitude.

I want to be spoon-fed the information,

Told what to do. I don’t want to figure it out

For myself because I’m afraid.

I’m afraid of getting it hideously wrong,

Afraid of frustration and disappointment,

Afraid of wasting time, or even more time.

Afraid of setting off World War III if I hit the wrong button.

I’m incredibly slow with a mouse.

Fresh-faced young things have opened and closed ten pages

In the time it’s taken me to click on an X.

They try one thing. If it doesn’t work