She does not hate technology. She hates feeling stupid.
When your parent pushes back on a new app or device, it rarely has to do with the technology. It is about dignity. Every time she cannot figure out a screen, it tells her she is losing ground. The resistance is not stubbornness. It is self-preservation.
She doesn't hate technology.
She hates feeling stupid.
Fear of breaking something. Not irrational. Reassurance: nothing you do on this phone can break it permanently.
Loss of competence. She ran a household, raised children, navigated careers. Now she cannot share a photo. The gap between who she was and who she feels like in front of a screen is the barrier.
Products designed for someone else. When every app assumes you know swipe, share, and settings in 11pt font, the product is telling the user it was not built for them.
Let them choose. "I found something you might like" beats "I installed something on your phone." Autonomy matters more than efficiency.
Make the first experience a win. Pre-load preferences. Make the first interaction easy, rewarding, and short. A trivia question she gets right in the first 60 seconds determines survival or deletion.
Use their phone, not a new device. Every new device is a new learning curve. Build on what they know.