As forecast by many in the 1980s computers are finally taking over the world. You will find them in every office and nearly every home. People use them to manage their lives. You can manage your money online, pay bills and shop over the Internet. You can also keep in touch with friends and family all over the world. If you do not learn how to use a computer, you are going to be left behind.

You will find computers in gas stations, hospitals, stores both large and small, beauty shops, restaurants and more. There are many self-service computers around, synchronized with their headquarter databases. It is impossible to escape computers nowadays.

Banking, for example, is self-serviced through ATM machines. Gas stations are self-serviced by their use of menu-clad touch screens. A lot of cash registers run on a Windows system and send purchase details via the internet back to headquarters. If you have your blood pressure or heart rate measured, that is also a digital process. You can even order fast food by dialing and making your selection from pre-programmed menus by pressing the buttons on your phone!

It is highly likely that all paper-based transactions (money orders, checks etc) and documentation (filing cabinet systems etc) will become obsolete. Post offices will have a lot less work as paperwork decreases. Homes will be using less paper and our natural resources will be preserved because of this.

If you are not good with computers or have never used one, this might well make you feel worried. Luckily, computer systems are designed for ease of use, so even a child could understand and use them. Many systems are designed with menus and selections so you just need to press the buttons according to your choices. Computerized systems have been deliberately designed like this, so that everyone is capable of using them.

If you have to use an electronic system, look at the main menu. The main menu will probably appear as soon as you turn the device on. The buttons on the main menu have options that take you to other additional menus, where you have more choices to make. You can choose the service that you need in this way.
Remember that if you make a mistake or press the wrong button, the device is not going to blow up! You can easily get back to the main menu and start again if you need to. Every time you use a similar device, it will get easier.

On many electronic devices you will find a ‘help’ option which you can click if you get confused. If it is available, be sure to use it if you need to.

There is really no way to avoid computerized systems in the modern world. There is no need to be afraid of them either. If you remember how simple the menu system is to use, you will find out that you can approach and use these devices as if you had designed them yourself.