Beyond Belief

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Ah, the treacherous waters of social media! You’d think navigating it would be a doddle, but as an 84-year-old, it’s more like trying to cross the Channel in a leaky dinghy. It’s not the technology that’s the problem—oh no, I’ve got my iPad, Wi-Fi, and an understanding of hashtags that would make even the most tech-savvy millennial weep with pride. No, the real challenge is getting anyone to believe that someone of my vintage could possibly have a thought worth sharing.

Take young Timothy, for example—he’s sixteen and fancies himself the next big thing in TikTok tutorials. He could post absolute twaddle, claiming to have discovered a new planet or invented a way to stop socks from vanishing in the wash, and everyone would clap and cheer. “Oh, Timothy, you clever boy!” they’d say. “What a genius!” Yet when I, with eight decades of wisdom under my belt, share a simple post about my day, suddenly the world’s on high alert for a scam. “Is this really you?” they ask. “Are you sure you’re not a robot?”

A robot, can you imagine? I’ve lived through the Blitz, rationing, and the invention of the internet, and suddenly, I’m a suspect in a global conspiracy. All because I happen to use proper grammar and don’t include emojis in every sentence. (I’ve learned to like them, though. The smiling poo one is particularly endearing.)

It’s not that I mind the scepticism; it’s the sheer disbelief that’s the kicker. Just the other day, I posted a photo of myself enjoying a cream tea, and someone commented, “No way is this real! Must be stock footage.” Stock footage? I ask you! They’d sooner believe a Photoshop wizard spent hours doctoring a picture of an old man with a scone than accept that I might know how to upload a picture.

But here’s the thing: despite all the accusations of being a spammer, bot, or worse, I carry on. After all, what’s life without a bit of risk? If I can’t convince the online world that octogenarians are capable of more than knitting and daytime telly, at least I can amuse myself with the absurdity of it all. And who knows? Maybe one day, they’ll realise it’s not just the young who have something to say. Until then, I’ll keep posting, with or without their belief.