A GEN X DAD'S TAKE ON NEW TECH

Being a Gen X dad means embracing change with equal parts curiosity, caution, and cynicism.

- RICARDO T. PAMINTUAN

Let me start by confessing something: I'm not a "tech guy" as this generation defines it. Yes, I can reset the Wi-Fi, link devices via Bluetooth, and identify which ports to use on our smart TV, but if you ask me to explain how blockchains work, I'll respond with a blank stare or a Winnie the Pooh meme. With my insatiable need to know, I learned from the Black Duck application security webpage that a blockchain is "a distributed database that maintains a continuously growing list of ordered records, called blocks."

Yet somehow, in my smaller and smaller circle of old friends, I am by far the go-to guy for most things tech. Maybe it's because I once connected our printer to the office network without having a full-blown meltdown, or sent fax messages directly from my PC file. Hey, I could even program our four-in-one copying machine to churn out sorted and stapled documents as easily as commanding our coffee machine to blend the perfect cappuccino. That, in the eyes of our staff, made me a guru.

Not so with my growing and growing circle of younger friends. So, when I stumbled upon the latest tech for 2025, I felt compelled to seek their opinions, like I often did for past topics. This time, I immediately desisted, thinking, "Surely, I can rely on my, ahem, expertise. How hard can it be?"

Without further ado, here's my slightly cynical, very Gen X take on whether we actually need next year's supposedly cutting-edge "new thing."

Foldable, rollable tablets. Remember when flip phones made a comeback? I myself snapped up a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold because, how cool is that? Not so cool, as I discovered—the darn screen didn't last a year and by the time I (hopefully) get it back from the US where it was repaired, it'll be a few models older.