My Grandmother and Social Media

I am constantly amazed at the speed of change in lifestyles from one generation to the next.

While eating a roast chicken on Sunday I commented that nothing ever tastes as good as my granny’s roast chicken. In fact, not only was she a great cook but she killed the chickens herself. I remember watching her sitting outside in the front of the house on a chair, plucking the recently deceased chicken. We never saw the moment of death itself but plucking was an arduous and messy affair that needed to be done outdoors.

In the space of two generations, the many skills of my grandmother have been lost. I can’t kill chickens or pigs, make butter, bake bread over an open fire, darn socks and all the many other things my granny could do.

What would she have made of iphones? Or social media? What would my granny’s Facebook Page be like? What would she tweet about?

I know she would have loved Twitter. Like all country people in small rural communities, she loved to gossip. Everyone knew everyone’s business. On the small road where she lived my granny would run to the window at the sound of an oncoming vehicle, just to see who was passing. She could have tweeted

Or she could have shared the minutiae of farming life.

I imagine the camera on a smart phone would have been a constant companion. Rural Ireland circa 1950 was very picturesque.

Facebook would have been hugely popular for sharing events and photos;

“New arrival born last night at 2.15. The image of her mother, Daisy. We are overjoyed”

She would have changed her profile photo to this

She would have had hundreds of friends because in the countryside everyone really knows everyone else. Instant messaging would have been a big hit.

“anyone going into town later? I need a lift to the shops”. Like many farming families in the early 60’s, my grandparents didn’t own a car. If you wanted a lift it was either on some farmer’s tractor or on the ass and cart.

Imagine how Apps would have helped with the day to day running of a farm. She would have liked this

Count Your Chickens - Before they Hatch App

Description

This app uses statistical probability to give stunningly accurate forecasts for chicken numbers, BEFORE they hatch! A must-have for all chicken breeders.

Or what about this

Who’s that Cow?

Description

Don’t the cows all seem to look the same? This app lets you keep a digital record of each cow, their behaviour, daily milk amounts, the birthing record etc. Can store up to 5 photos per cow. Never get your cows confused again!

On a serious note, I think social media would have greatly enhanced Irish country life in my grandmother’s day. While it saddens me that we have lost many of the skills of a way of life that doesn’t really exist any more, it’s because the skills aren’t needed that they have died out. It makes me wonder which skills we currently have will be obsolete in two generations time and how will new technology and social media change the lives of our grandchildren.

Anyone like to speculate?