Want to learn about creating studio-quality sound from the home? This tech whiz knows
I never thought it would come to this but I’m now the most technological adept member of my family. This is saying a lot because my family includes people in their 20s. So take that, Gen Z.
I remember the days when my son and daughter were little tech geniuses. The digital darlings ran around fixing my computer, setting up my website and showing off their skills.
If I sit quietly in my home office, it’s almost as if I can still hear their comments teasing and/or berating me for being remedial in all things tech related. It’s as if the phrase “OK, boomer” is reverberating off the walls.
But oh, how things have changed. Today I’m the one who’s explaining things. Surprisingly no one in my family finds this irritating. My son says he’s just relieved to be liberated from being my 24 hour, on-call tech support.
When I asked them what happened to their tech superiority, they both had the same answer: They grew up, got jobs and no longer have the time to code their mom’s website.
Then they go for the zinger by adding, “And unlike, you mom, we’re not chronically online.”
I think I’m supposed to be embarrassed that I’m allegedly “chronically online.” As in I don’t have anything better to do than stare at my phone.
I’m not the least bit ashamed. Being “chronically online” happens to be a big part of my job. Also, both of my kids are very much responsible for me being chronically online.
It started almost 15 years ago when my son told me I needed to start a blog. So, he set up a website, named it Snarky in the Suburbs (I didn’t even pick the name) and I started writing.
Before I knew it, I had written my first book. Then then my daughter made me an Instagram account, hounded me to get on TikTok and, when I refused, went around me and set it up. Same with YouTube.
My latest kid-coerced endeavor is a podcast. If there is one thing I never wanted to do it was podcasting, primarily because everybody has a podcast. I wanted to stay very much in the minority and not have one.
Well, surprise, surprise: Here I am now with a podcast. The whole blabbing into a microphone is the easy part. I was born to blab. The much more time-consuming issue is that you can’t just do a podcast. You have to promote it and you know how you do that? Being chronically online.
Because I’m producing videos, editing videos, creating podcasts and editing podcasts, I now have tech skills that have surpassed every member of my family.
If you want to know about creating studio-quality sound from your home, give me a call. We can talk microphones, interfaces and apps. Need to edit video with special effects? No problem.
Make no mistake, I’m proud that I’m now my family’s chief technology officer. I feel like it’s a way for me to rebrand having a “senior moment.” As in having a “senior moment” means learning, or even excelling, at new skills.
That said, just yesterday I spent 10 minutes looking for my glasses when they were on my head. So I guess those types of senior moments are still with me.
Reach Sherry Kuehl at snarkyinthesuburbs@gmail.com, on Facebook at Snarky in the Suburbs @snarkynsuburbs, on Instagram @snarky.in.the.suburbs, and snarkyinthesuburbs.com.
This story was originally published February 19, 2025 at 5:00 AM.