History Main / HopelessWithTech

* Seijuro Shin from ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}'' is unable to use any machine more complicated than a digital stopwatch or an electric stove without [[WalkingTechbane breaking it to pieces]]. This is apparently a combination of [[DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength his nigh-superhuman strength]] and a complete lack of understanding of how technology works; he once tried to use a GPS by ''opening it like a map''.

'''Completely Hopeless:''' Alice can't work her way around computers. Give her a cell-phone (especially of the very latest model), and she's clueless as to how it's supposed to work. Digital cameras leave her wondering how they're supposed to be used. (Where do you load the film? Where can you get it developed?) She's bewildered by all the complicated technical stuff that others take for granted. If she makes an effort to use any technology despite her cluelessness (usually in an attempt to prove that she can in fact get the concept), [[WalkingTechbane very bad things happen]].
'''Basic Understanding:''' Bob has a ''basic'' understanding of how a computer is supposed to work (meaning he can browse through folders, surf the Internet, send an email, type, et cetera), but disassemble the parts and challenge him to put it back together, and [[DoomItYourself he's stuck in a rut]]. He knows the fundamentals of using a cell-phone (you dial numbers and communicate with others), but the various additional functions have him lost, especially if it's a model he's not used to. He knows how to drive a car and the basic fundamentals behind it (press the gas to go and the brake to stop, use the steering wheel to direct the car), but he's stumped when it comes to pinpointing specific engine parts or knowing what wires go where.

** According to supplementary materials, Rin Tohsaka is this. In fact, most oldblood mages are. Mages tend to look down on modern technology due to a combination of believing OlderIsBetter, arrogantly assuming that Magecraft can't be bested by mere {{Muggle}} creations, and generally have no clue how it works. This is ultimately taken UpToEleven in one episode of ''Anime/CarnivalPhantasm'' where Rin can't even figure out how to get a Blu-Ray Player to record a show. In Type-Moon's April Fool joke, in which some characters set up Twitter accounts, she has Archer set hers up... which she uses as her secret diary. HilarityEnsues.

* While it's apparent that The Boss in the ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'' series is not tech-savvy, the extent of this is unclear. They can use cell phones, ATMs, radios, earpieces, and drone controls just fine and basic functionality of laptops appears to be a non-issue, but anything else seems to be beyond their capabilities. Keith David claims that the Boss couldn't hook up a VCR, but it's unknown if there is any truth to this or if it's just a remark at their expense, though most likely the latter.

* Cyan from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' is hopeless with machines. Sabin figures this out after Cyan tries to pilot a suit of Magitek armor without help, and Cyan freaks out when Sabin flips a random switch on the Doom Train without knowing what it does. In the World of Ruin, Cyan's hideout contains a book on machines, implying he's trying to get over this uselessness with technology. But, his BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind features the party riding in Magitek armor as part of Cyan's nightmare, showing he hasn't made as much progress as he thinks he has.

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia2'' reveals this about Gaiusis. He owns a [=GHS=] phone and knows how it should work, but ultimately is clueless about it. One of his field lines involves wondering why it suddenly turned off, only to learn that it needs 'some power device attached to it' to charge it again. A post-battle dialogue with Rowen has him complain that it broke during the fight, only for Rowen to check it out and say he forgot to turn it back on.

[[caption-width-right:300:For context, she's trying to free what she thinks is the soul of a woman trapped in that phone. This is what happens when your kids are in the Great Outdoors for too long.]]

* ''Manga/{{Hajiotsu}}'' has Himari whouses a basic phone because she already finds them complicated to understand. And while she can send text messages just fine, she's not very good at it, so her messages are always full of typos or need to be deciphered to what she actually means.

** Mrs. Patmore, Downton's cook, is similarly distrusting of new developments, particularly when it comes to kitchen appliances. In her case, however, it's occasionally PlayedForDrama; after a disastrous attempt to use the electric mixer, she confesses to Mrs. Hughes that she's afraid of being rendered obstolete and "stuck in the past".

* ''Series/CobraKai'': Johnny Lawrence is a DiscoDan stuck in the 80s. He owns an old flip phone, is incapable of turning on a laptop he buys, doesn't know how to get on the internet (such as what wifi is), and is a hunt-and-peck typer. We see him use an [[ParodiesForDummies Internet for Dummies]] book and use the pawn shop he bought his laptop at as tech support (which the owner is annoyed by when Johnny calls him for internet help).

* Sigrun from ''WebComic/StandStillStaySilent'' manages to be this, even with AfterTheEnd SchizoTech. She put that she knew how to drive on her resume despite not actually knowing to because she thought it couldn't be that hard (let's just say she's lucky one of her surbordinates ''actually'' knows how to drive) and manages to use ''binoculars'' the wrong way. In Chapter 6, she's seen talking into to the radio a couple of times, both times with ''someone else'' holding the microphone to her mouth because she doesn't realize that she's supposed to talk into a specific part of the radio (we're talking about the type of radio that can take up a whole wall in a small room here).

# '''Completely Hopeless:''' Alice can't work her way around computers. Give her a cell-phone (especially of the very latest model), and she's clueless as to how it's supposed to work. Digital cameras leave her wondering how they're supposed to be used. (Where do you load the film? Where can you get it developed?) She's bewildered by all the complicated technical stuff that others take for granted. If she makes an effort to use any technology despite her cluelessness (usually in an attempt to prove that she can in fact get the concept), [[WalkingTechbane very bad things happen]].
# '''Basic Understanding:''' Bob has a ''basic'' understanding of how a computer is supposed to work (meaning he can browse through folders, surf the Internet, send an email, type, et cetera), but disassemble the parts and challenge him to put it back together, and [[DoomItYourself he's stuck in a rut]]. He knows the fundamentals of using a cell-phone (you dial numbers and communicate with others), but the various additional functions have him lost, especially if it's a model he's not used to. He knows how to drive a car and the basic fundamentals behind it (press the gas to go and the brake to stop, use the steering wheel to direct the car), but he's stumped when it comes to pinpointing specific engine parts or knowing what wires go where.

* Isumi from ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler'' is type 1. Coupled with her [[NoSenseOfDirection lack of direction]], she's been referred to as hopeless on several occasions.
* ''Manga/{{Hajiotsu}}'' has Himari as a Type 2. She uses a basic phone because she already finds them complicated to understand. And while she can send text messages just fine, she's not very good at it, so her messages are always full of typos or need to be deciphered to what she actually means.

* In ''Series/{{Monk}}'', Adrian Monk is a Type 1. He's also rather prone at wrecking stuff (anything from files up to the whole gizmo) because he can't stop trying to clean up something if he sees it dirty, accidentally pressing buttons.

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia2'' reveals that Gaius is a Type 1, with a very minor Type 2 sliced in. He owns a [=GHS=] phone and knows how it should work, but ultimately is clueless about it. One of his field lines involves wondering why it suddenly turned off, only to learn that it needs 'some power device attached to it' to charge it again. A post-battle dialogue with Rowen has him complain that it broke during the fight, only for Rowen to check it out and say he forgot to turn it back on.

** Iris is implied to be Type 2 but aside from her cell phone we never see her use anything technological. When she says that she spent most of her life in Hazakura temple she quickly adds that she does have contact with civilization and can use cell phones and computers as to not be mistaken for Type 1. Phoenix mentally notes that it's not something worth bragging about.

* Evan of ''WebVideo/EverymanHYBRID'' is somewhere between Type 1 and Type 2. The only technology he seems to know how to use is anything involving VideoGames. Anything else, forget it.

* Get two or more IT professionals in the same room together and you're guaranteed to hear a few stories about Type 1. Whether this counts as TruthInTelevision or not... Well, that kind of depends on the kind of IT professional you're talking to.

* Type 2 is far more common than Type 1 and probably happens to everyone at some point, because it's both easier and far more commonly needed to know how to ''use'' a computer than how to assemble or repair one. Same for cars; even TheAllegedCar is probably driven more often than it needs to be repaired.

* Website/{{Cracked}}'s video piece [[http://www.cracked.com/video_19178_6-shockingly-out-of-touch-celebrities.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=fanpage&utm_campaign=new+article&wa_ibsrc=fanpage "6 Shockingly Out-of-Touch Celebrities"]] showed quite a few celebrities are Type 1. For example, Music/{{DMX}} apparently had no idea what a search engine was... in 2012.

[[caption-width-right:300:For context, she's trying to free what she thinks is the soul of a woman trapped in that phone. This is what happens when your kids are outdoors for too long.]]

[[caption-width-right:300:For context, she's trying to free what she thinks is the soul of a woman trapped in that phone.]]

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* The ''Music/TomSmith'' song "Tech Support For Dad" centers around the singer trying to help his father solve his computer problems over the phone. Highlights include the fact that the computer dates back to the Clinton Administration (Which the singer admits makes the song funnier every year), and an in-depth investigation into why the computer can't write DVDs, which ultimately turns out to be because it doesn't have a DVD drive.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' shows [[AlmightyMom Nicole]] to be this in Season 6. For one thing, she's a one-finger hunt-and-peck typer. She also has no understanding of firewalls (she puts up a wall of flame at the front of the house), thinks that right-clicking refers to snapping your finger at the screen, tries to pay for something online by putting money in the disc drive and sends emails by using dancing pixie e-cards exclusively. And this isn't getting into her social media habits. Presumably the only reason she hasn't been fired for incompetence is because her co-workers are just as bad. Though oddly, [[CompressedVice this only seemed to be a problem in this episode]]. As previous episode not only didn't imply this, but one episode even had a gag where Nicole's husband and kids have an OhCrap moment and run off to destroy there devices, upon learning that she know how to look up search histories.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' shows [[AlmightyMom Nicole]] to be this in Season 6. For one thing, she's a one-finger hunt-and-peck typer. She also has no understanding of firewalls (she puts up a wall of flame at the front of the house), thinks that right-clicking refers to snapping your finger at the screen, tries to pay for something online by putting money in the disc drive and sends emails by using dancing pixie e-cards exclusively. And this isn't getting into her social media habits. Presumably the only reason she hasn't been fired for incompetence is because her co-workers are just as bad. Though oddly, [[CompressedVice this only seemed to be a problem in this episode]]. As previous episode not only didn't imply this, but one episode even had a gag where Nicole's husband and kids have an OhCrap moment and run off to destroy there devices, upon learning that she know how to look up search histories.
* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'', [[GoodOlBoy Hank]] tries to turn on a computer by picking up the mouse, holding it like a TV remote, pointing it at the monitor, and clicking it. When that doesn't work, he's apparently out of ideas, since he gives up and writes a letter instead.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' shows [[AlmightyMom Nicole]] to be this in Season 6. For one thing, she's a one-finger hunt-and-peck typer. She also has no understanding of firewalls (she puts up a wall of flame at the front of the house), thinks that right-clicking refers to snapping your finger at the screen, tries to pay for something online by putting money in the disc drive and sends emails by using dancing pixie e-cards exclusively. And this isn't getting into her social media habits. Presumably the only reason she hasn't been fired for incompetence is because her co-workers are just as bad.

But there are some persons who just don't understand technology. The newer or more mainstream it is, the more likely it is that such persons will be left totally bamboozled by it.

'''Completely Hopeless:''' Alice can't work her way around computers. Give her a cell-phone (especially of the very latest model), and she's clueless as to how it's supposed to work. Digital cameras leave her wondering how they're supposed to be used. (Where do you load the film? Where can you get it developed?) She's bewildered by all the complicated technical stuff that others take for granted. If she makes an effort to use any technology despite her cluelessness (usually in an attempt to prove that she can in fact get the concept), [[WalkingTechbane very bad things happen]].

'''Basic Understanding:''' Bob has a ''basic'' understanding of how a computer is supposed to work (meaning he can browse through folders, surf the Internet, send an email, type, et cetera), but disassemble the parts and challenge him to put it back together, and [[DoomItYourself he's stuck in a rut]]. He knows the fundamentals of using a cell-phone (you dial numbers and communicate with others), but the various additional functions have him lost, especially if it's a model he's not used to. He knows how to drive a car and the basic fundamentals behind it (press the gas to go and the brake to stop, use the steering wheel to direct the car), but he's stumped when it comes to pinpointing specific engine parts or knowing what wires go where.

->''"I don't know how to work this machine... Spending the nights alone, talking to yourself into an obvious Nazi machine. This is a [[DirtyCommunists Red China]], ''[[Literature/TheManchurianCandidate Manchurian Candidate]]'' machine because I can't record anything, and when I do I automatically erase it."''

** In "Coffee Quest", Cricket tries to use Gloria's phone, but has no knowledge of such.

** The Greens' lack of technology becomes extremely poignant in the climax of "Sellouts", as Gloria remembers she took a picture of the Greens which went viral; it is that point the Greens reveal they never went social due to having no electronics, so she teaches them how to in order to let people know what they're selling.

* Seijuro Shin from ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}'' is unable to use any machine more complicated than a digital stopwatch or an electric stove without [[WalkingTechbane breaking it to pieces]]. He's even said to have a bad habit of breaking the ticket machines at the train station when commuting to school.

* Johnny Lawrence from Series/CobraKai is a DiscoDan stuck in the 80s. He owns an old flip phone, is incapable of turning on a laptop he buys, doesn't know how to get on the internet (such as what wifi is), and is a hunt-and-peck typer. We see him use a [[ParodiesForDummies Internet for Dummies]] book and uses the pawn shop he bought his laptop at as tech support (which the owner is annoyed by when Johnny calls him for internet help).
* ''Series/WandaVision'': Played for Drama [[Recap/WandaVisionEpisode5OnAVerySpecialEpisode "On a Very Special Episode"]]. [[spoiler:Thanks to Wanda's mental influence]] the people of Wesview act like sitcom characters. Norm acts baffled at sight of a computer, and thinks that an email needs a letter opener to be read. Then Vision reverts him [[MoodWhiplash which makes him desperately beg to go home]], only to wonder how to put a stamp on the email.