Many of us wonder what to get our elderly parents and grandparents during the holidays or on their birthdays. So we are hunting for a new idea. We have all found ourselves in this dilemma at one point in time where anything you pick is either too geeky for an older person or too much for granny to understand, or just not enough to show much appreciation
A woman named Becky Siegel just nailed the perfect present for her boyfriend’s grandmother. Perhaps we need to look at technonology from a different perspective and think about how helpful it is and how it will simplify the lives of the elderly.
When televisions first come into the market, no one really understood the phenomenon. But over time, people began to learn and understood how they work. We have new technology now, and while it can be more complex than a simple TV, we can all learn to use them and teach other people.
85-year old Maria Actis from Flagler Beach, Florida was mesmerised by her Christmas gift, the new Google home mini smart-home speaker, when Siegel gave it to her. She asked, 'What is this?' and her grandson tried explaining to her how how it works and how she has to tell the device, 'Ok, Google' or 'Hey Google' so it can respond.
Granny Actis then went for her first test drive in the technological world. Despite her apparent attempts to say 'Ok Google', she kept saying 'Ok goo goo' and 'Hay Goo Goo'. But surprisingly she managed to get the device to respond and even asked the speaker about the next day’s weather forecast.
'My grandmother was very excited to show everyone her new gift, but obviously she needed a little help using it,' her grandson Ben told the PEOPLE during an interview.
She did not expect what comes next. Confused, shocked and mesmerised, Actis stands up from her chair, takes a few steps back towards her husband and utters, 'It’s a mystery'. She was dismayed, utterly dumbfounded, and for a brief moment was lost for words.
She also said she was scared, which was evident as she moved away from the talking device. In her 85 years of being in this world, Actis had seen a lot, but Google speaker might just be one of the most mesmerising.
With enough time, Ben’s granny will hopefully be able to learn how to use her 'Goo Goo' well and be able to search the internet comfortably. So will the grandparents of other people who have been fortunate enough to watch this viral video.