Reflections on work, life, and the little things that make a difference
This column reflects on the small patterns and quiet shifts that shape our everyday lives – uncovering meaning in ordinary moments. It doesn’t claim to offer answers but hopes to bring perspective and perhaps a little calm.
IT WAS NEVER ABOUT THE TABLET
Over the years, I’ve worked with many learners who have joined digital literacy programmes with a degree of hesitation.
One learner in particular was friendly, capable and engaged in many other aspects of life but when it came to digital technology, he had already reached a conclusion about himself. There was no hostility in his words – just a quiet acceptance that the world of technology belonged to other people.
As always, we started small learning how to navigate between applications and finding information online. Even so, every unfamiliar screen seemed to reinforce in him the feeling that the world was moving in a direction he hadn’t quite kept pace with. Every mistake risked becoming evidence that perhaps he wasn’t cut out for this after all.
But over time, slowly but surely he became comfortable enough with the basics that the technology itself was no longer the centre of his attention. And that was when I introduced ChatGPT.
At first, there was the usual curiosity mixed with a little scepticism. But after a few demonstrations, he began asking questions of his own. Before long, he was using it to understand things he had always found confusing, draft messages that would have previously taken much longer to write and explore ideas that interested him.
What surprised me wasn’t how quickly he learned to use the tool. It was how quickly he found value in it. Perhaps for the first time, technology wasn’t something demanding effort from him but was giving effort back instead. The tablet had become a doorway to things that were suddenly easier, quicker and more accessible than before.
A Thought to Carry With Us?
Looking back, I don’t think the learner changed because the technology became less intimidating. I think he changed because he discovered a reason to care – and perhaps that is true of change in a more general sense?
We often assume that people adapt because they become comfortable with something new. But from what I’ve observed, people are far more likely to embrace change when they can clearly see what it makes possible. The discomfort doesn’t disappear – it simply stops being the most important thing in the picture.
In the end, it was never really about the tablet at all for this learner. It was about discovering that the future still had something to offer him – and that he was capable of being part of it.
Ganga enjoys finding small insights in everyday moments and sharing them as reflections on work, life and the in-betweens. He also empowers individuals through customised digital literacy courses. You can reach him at [email protected] or find him on LinkedIn via the QR Code.
