9 phone habits that instantly expose your age to anyone watching

Last week, my wife and I were at our usual Wednesday coffee spot when I watched three different generations handle their phones.

The twenty-something at the next table was swiping and typing without even looking at the screen. The middle-aged woman by the window was doing that familiar squint-and-scroll dance.

And me? Well, I was holding my phone at arm’s length, trying to read a text from my daughter.

It got me thinking about all the ways our phone habits betray our age, whether we realize it or not.

1. The arm’s length reading position

Ever notice how younger folks hold their phones about six inches from their face? Meanwhile, those of us over fifty are stretching our arms like we’re trying to take a selfie just to read a simple text message. I started doing this a few years back when I got my reading glasses, and now it’s automatic.

My teenage grandkids find this absolutely hilarious. “Grandpa, why is your phone way over there?” they ask. Because that’s the only way I can see it, kiddo.

2. The index finger typing technique

Watch someone under thirty type, and their thumbs move like hummingbird wings. Watch me type? It’s a deliberate, one-finger pecking motion that probably looks like I’m poking the screen in anger. After thirty-five years of typing on actual keyboards at my insurance job, this thumb-typing business just feels unnatural.

I’ve tried to learn the thumb method. Really, I have. But whenever I need to send something important, I revert right back to my trusty index finger.

3. Actually answering phone calls

Here’s a wild concept: when my phone rings, I answer it. Revolutionary, right?

My son acts like I’ve committed a social crime when I call him instead of texting. “Dad, nobody calls anymore unless someone’s dead,” he told me last month.

But you know what? Sometimes a two-minute phone call solves what would be a twenty-minute text conversation. Call me old-fashioned, but I like hearing people’s voices.

4. The flashlight app confusion

My fourteen-year-old granddaughter showed me that my phone has a built-in flashlight. Built-in!

For two years, I’d been using a separate flashlight app I downloaded, complete with ads and everything. She swiped up from the bottom of my screen, tapped an icon, and boom – flashlight.

The look on her face when she realized I didn’t know about this was priceless. “Grandpa, how did you not know this?” Well, sweetheart, they didn’t exactly send me a manual.

5. Taking one photo and calling it good

When I take a picture, I take one picture. Maybe two if someone blinked. My grandkids? They take approximately seventeen shots of the same thing, then spend five minutes editing and filtering before posting the “perfect” one.

I mentioned this to my neighbor Bob during one of our porch conversations, and he laughed. “I don’t even know where my photos go after I take them,” he admitted. We’re definitely from the “one and done” generation of photography.

6. Facebook is home base

Yes, I’m on Facebook. No, I don’t understand TikTok, and Instagram confuses me with all its stories and reels and whatever else they’ve added this week.

Facebook makes sense to me – it’s where I keep up with my kids, share photos from our trips, and occasionally get into friendly debates about baseball.

My granddaughter informed me that “nobody uses Facebook anymore, Grandpa.” Well, nobody under thirty, maybe. But my entire high school reunion committee would beg to differ.

7. Answering unknown numbers

When an unknown number calls, I answer it. Could be important, right? Could be the doctor’s office, the bank, or someone trying to reach me about something urgent.

My daughter Sarah thinks I’m crazy. “Dad, if it’s important, they’ll leave a voicemail.”

But here’s the thing – I grew up in an era where not answering the phone was rude. Some habits die hard.

8. Never moving apps around

My home screen looks exactly like it did the day I got this phone two years ago. Everything’s right where the phone company put it. Meanwhile, my grandkids are constantly rearranging their screens, creating folders, and customizing everything.

Why would I move things? I finally learned where everything is. If I start moving apps around, I’ll never find anything again.

9. The speakerphone situation

I’ll admit it – I use speakerphone more than I should. Not in public (I’m not that guy), but at home? Absolutely. Those tiny earbuds everyone uses? They fall out of my ears, and don’t get me started on trying to connect them via Bluetooth.

My wife reminds me that the whole house doesn’t need to hear my conversations with our insurance agent. Fair point, but at least I can hear what they’re saying without asking them to repeat themselves three times.

Final thoughts

Here’s what I’ve learned: these habits might give away my age, but I’m not embarrassed by them. Each generation adapts to technology in their own way, at their own pace.

Sure, I might hold my phone like I’m checking my vision at the optometrist, but I can also video-call my grandkids who live three states away – something that would have seemed like science fiction when I was their age.

We’re all just doing our best with these pocket computers. And if my one-finger typing makes you chuckle? Well, at least I’m providing some entertainment along with exposing my age.