Blaise Tapp: Being such a technophobe sometimes has its advantages

It’s not our fault we mutter, as it was much simpler when the only way to pay for the big shop was using notes with the Queen’s head on it. We’re the people that test the patience of the most professional IT helpdesks, who spend half of their time resetting our passwords when we’ve forgotten whether the latest one was password followed by an 8, 9 or 10 and if it had an exclamation or question mark.

In short, we’re in danger of being left behind by those who know the Cloud isn’t always something that gets us wet. There are, however, times when our reticence to fully embrace the endless march of technology are justified, including the claims last week that a record number of mountain rescues is due to an increase in ‘Instagram tourists’.

These are people who, inspired by an arty picture they have seen on the social platform which was designed for showing off, decide on the spur of the moment to scale Ben Nevis in nothing more than a pair of snazzy pumps and a windcheater. Their prize, they hope, is photographic proof that they’ve completed the ascent, which they will of course share with their virtual followers.

The problem is that a growing number of people are taking these risks, including relying on Google Maps to help them navigate the highest peaks in the British Isles, meaning that volunteer teams are having to come to their rescue at a greater rate than ever before.

Personally, if I were inclined to make it to the top of anything resembling a mountain, I would be looking for somewhere to sit down rather than worrying about capturing my best side in a selfie. But in this age of digital one upmanship, proving that you were there is far more important than actually living that moment.

We have the capability to store thousands of photographs these days and the chances are that, unless we immediately upload an image to Facebook or Instagram, that we won’t ever look at our pictures of a theme park fireworks display or Blackpool Illuminations again. Personally, I don’t bother taking pictures of such events, largely due to it taking me too long to work out how to take a picture on my smartphone. Sometimes, being a technophobe is an advantage.