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My Internet-Illiterate Father
Listen to this Commentary!
Maureen Dougherty
There are five words that strike terror in my heart. I hear them uttered by my father every single time he sits down at the computer. "How do I do this?"
I'm Maureen Dougherty, a Junior at Grady High School, with a commentary from Youth Radio.
My dad is not exactly technology friendly. Every computer session ends with "I hate this -bleep- computer". There is one computer in my house, and it happens to be located in my bedroom. One night, I was sitting on my bedroom floor, reading my Advanced Placement History book, trying to comprehend why the Native Americans would even think about trusting the settlers, when my dad comes in. A few minutes later I hear the familiar dial tone and I know that I will not get past the Trail of Tears.
Pretty soon I'm sitting in the chair, typing away, while my dad dictates e-mails. At last I think he's finished. I'm just about to sign on to chat with a friend, when I am given a death stare. Now my reign over the computer chair is finished. Pretty soon I hear low murmurs, then loud curses. My father has managed to freeze the computer screen.
Finally, dad leaves the room. I think he's looking for a screw driver, or anything that does not require a password. I close the door behind him and sit down before the "magic box", and settle down for a nice long chat.
I'm Maureen Dougherty.
Youth Radio Atlanta is produced in cooperation with Grady High School, WABE-FM in Atlanta and Youth Radio in Berkeley, California.
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