They say the technology makes things easier every day. If that is the case then why am I constantly running into simple things that all of the sudden seemed to be hard things. One of the reasons I joined the Tampa Bay technology center many years ago was to get help with all of my tech questions and my goodness this club has been a wonderful resource for that and continues to be. And now we are living in the age of AI. Someone tells me how does it get any better than this? Well one of the things that I am using AI for on a regular basis is for technical questions that I have on computer programs that I’m working with or even my computer itself. I was speaking to a friend in Texas who I met belly podcasting convention who is doing just about everything with AI these days. I asked him if he would share 7 prompts that older people can use to help solve their problems. He was kind enough to send me these and I am now sharing them with you. I will tell you that they’ve already come in handy for me.
Use these prompts when you’re having trouble with a device or app. Just fill in the blanks or check off what applies. You can share these with someone who helps you or send them in an email or message.
- Trouble with a Task
I’m trying to ______________________________________
(Example: join a Zoom call, send an email, print a photo)
But something isn’t working right.
Can you help me step-by-step?
- Device Acting Up
My [ ] computer [ ] tablet [ ] smartphone is acting strange.
It keeps ____________________________________________
(Example: freezing, turning off, showing an error)
What should I do?
- I Forgot How To…
I forgot how to ____________________________________
(Example: copy and paste, attach a photo, update my app)
Can you walk me through it again?
- Suspicious Message or Warning
I got a message that says:
“___________________________________________________”
I’m not sure if it’s real. Is this a scam or something I need to do?
- Make Things Easier to See or Use
How do I make my screen easier to:
[ ] Read text
[ ] Press buttons
[ ] Hear sounds
What changes can I make to help?
- I Might Have Messed Something Up
I think I changed something on my _____________________
(Example: email, photos app, settings)
Can I fix it without losing anything important?
- Learning Something New
I want to learn how to use ____________________________
(Example: online banking, YouTube, text messaging)
What’s the easiest and safest way to get started?