On and off buttons exemplify a generational divide. Technology has changed and seniors are stuck in an era in which one button turns something on and another one turns it off.
Young people understand that you only need one button. Push it on to start something and push it again to stop it. The button is a simple symbol. It doesn’t say on or off. It traditionally looks like a circle with a line drawn through it, but now it can be a circle, or an indentation, a gesture or even nothing.
The same “button” turns on a fan, a computer, a phone or a lock on an appliance. It also might activate some remote activity. This may trouble older people. If the button is pressed too long, it doesn’t turn things on or off or the gadget gets confused and freezes or something switches on and off, or swivels or continuously speeds up and slows down in a panic. A mere touch could set an alarm in motion and cause a swarm of police to go charging to an unknown place.
Are you scared or young?