Have you ever lingered in front of a kiosk with your parents when going to a restaurant or cafe recently?
Or have you ever found yourself involuntarily letting out a voice mixed with irritation after being asked more than ten times, "Where is the QR code?" or "How do I send my location via KakaoTalk?"
Even though your heart feels heavy and guilt washes over you as soon as you turn away, it is not easy to endure your parents' 'slow pace' amidst your busy daily life.However, behind the image of our parents that we thought were 'outdated,' a heartbreaking system that we were unaware of is at work.
To survive in a world that changes day by day, we absorb the latest information, calculate efficiency, and hone our skills in AI and cutting-edge technology.
Our operating systems (OS) are geared toward 'growth and efficiency.'
On the other hand, parents' OS has long been fixed on a single purpose: 'the safety and peace of their children.'
Our interests: Work efficiency, stocks/investment, latest trends, self-development
Parents' interests: Whether the child has eaten, is getting enough sleep, is sick, and isn't overworked
When we install the latest apps for them and ask, "Why can't you do something this easy?", it is like trying to run the latest high-spec games on a very old classic computer.
That computer isn't lacking in performance; it's just that it has already used up all its memory recording and preserving your childhood.
In fact, parents are more enthusiastic learners than anyone else. It is just that the purpose of their study is different from ours.
Parents writing down recipes for their children's favorite side dishes in an old notebook even as their memory fades,
obsessively checkingtimes to take medicine so as not to be a burden to their children even when they are sick. All of this is their parents' unique 'lifelong learning.
The reason they keep asking how to use smartphones isn't actually because they are curious about the technology.
Because only by learning that machine can you stay in your world a little longer and hear your voice even one more time.
We buy trendy clothes and go around looking for famous restaurants, but our parents wear worn-out clothes and struggle to save every penny.
You might wonder, "Why do they save so much in this day and age?" but at the end of that frugality, there is always 'us'.
Amidst high prices, unemployment, and the difficulty of buying a home, parents choose to live a life of stinginess toward themselves again today to become the last bastion you can lean on, should their children ever encounter the storms of life.
The reason they cannot enjoy leisure after retirement is not because they do not know how, but because of a love that is deeply afraid of sending you out into the world alone.
When we took our first steps, our parents patiently waited for us to fall thousands of times.
Instead of shouting, "Why can't you walk?", they opened their arms and hugged us.
Now, your parents are taking their first steps in the unfamiliar world of digital.
Be a little more patient: If they ask ten times, answer them twenty times with a smile.
Change your standards: Do not judge your parents by the standards of your own world.
Read their minds: Listen first to the message of "I love you, I worry" hidden behind their nagging.
Your parents are by no means falling behind. They are simply catching their breath for a moment, having carried the entire burden of life on their shoulders for your sake.
Why not give your parents a call? Instead of saying "I'm sorry for getting angry earlier," a simple phrase like "I ate well, just as Mom and Dad taught me" will be a more valuable comfort to your parents than any cutting-edge technology in the world.
