Skip Navigation
Asklemmy @lemmy.ml
weeeeum @lemmy.world

How to deal with Mom who CANNOT learn how to use a password manager, but demands I "fix it"

I've become the tech guy, and family are extremely entitled to my services. My mom especially. BTW I can't cut her out, because I still live with her and she EXPECTS me to fix anything computer related. She won't take no for an answer.

I've tried to keep track of her passwords with a password manager, I've spent literally 8 hours in a single day filling out captchas and replacing passwords, and I've spent even more time trying to teach my mom how to use the manager.

She CAN'T learn it, and always makes a new password, which she doesnt keep track of and expects me to fix it. What the hell do it do? She uses firefox, with auto refill on, but it doesn't autofill on her iphone.

You're viewing a single thread.

119 comments

  • Okay no one has said this, but feel you. When I was younger I was so happy my family thought I was smart and leaned into it. It's great, they want something installed, they want advice, it works. Then they get greedy, they stop respecting my time, I get chastised for not answering my phone because they HAVE to get into their email RIGHT NOW.

    So, if you're feeling all of this, it may be time to start setting boundaries. Some helpful things:

    Mom, if you want to ask for my help then you can't just undo my help right after I leave. If you want my help, you will use what I set up, you will use this password manager and you will put in the effort to learn it. I offer these services for free, Geek Squad would charge you $200 for this service alone. If you can't do it that's fine, but then you can go to them for help.

    I understand that it's not working right now but I'm not a 24/7 service. I can help you in

    <reasonable time frame>

    .

    At some point some older people just stop trying to learn anything new. I also worked geek squad, which is where I saw this first hand. Some very very basic problem solving and just the will to learn something new will take them 90% of the way, but most have lost those basic skills. For those, well, politely you have to tell them that they have to rely on others, and that's why geek squad exists.

    A lot of geeks laugh at the $200 price tag. That's ridiculous! I could do that in 10 minutes! Correct! The fix is usually the easiest part of the job. That's why there's only 1 or 2 actual repair techs per best buy, but 10 or more desk agents who just sit and listen to the elderly talk about how much they hate computers and refuse to learn it.

119 comments