What Do You Call Someone Who Is Not Good With Technology?

Are you trying to figure out what to call someone who is not good with technology?

Perhaps you’re stuck for any good words, but that’s what we’re here for!

This article has gathered the best words to show you how to describe someone who is bad with technology.

Words for Someone Who Is Not Good With Technology

  • Computer illiterate
  • Luddite
  • Technophobe
  • Digitally challenged
  • Technologically inept
  • IT-averse
  • Technologically challenged
  • Non-tech-savvy
  • Old-school
  • Digital novice
  • Technically unskilled
  • Technology-averse

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • “Computer illiterate” is a great adjective for a person who is not good with technology.
  • For a one-word alternative, you can write “Luddite,” which means someone is opposed to new technological changes.
  • Try “technophobe” to show that someone hates or fears technology.

Keep reading to learn what to call someone who hates technology or doesn’t understand it. We’ve touched on the three best synonyms to show you what’s available!

Computer Illiterate

If you’re looking for the opposite of tech-savvy (which indicates someone is great with technology), you don’t need to look any further.

“Computer illiterate” is a great way to show that someone cannot understand computers or technology.

It suggests that they can never learn about computers, either. No matter how hard someone tries to teach them, they simply can’t retain the lessons because technology baffles them.

This is a great synonym for a person who is not good with technology. And the best part is it’s obvious to the reader what you’re trying to convey when using it.

You should review these sentence samples to learn how to use “computer illiterate” in a sentence:

My mum is completely computer illiterate. I can’t understand how she finds it so difficult to get on with technology.

They’re computer illiterate, but you can’t do much to help that. I’m afraid they’re a lost cause, and you’ll have to do the work yourself!

Luddite

Next, you can try using “Luddite” to show that someone has no love for technology. It often means they either dislike technology or don’t know how to use it (and refuse to learn).

According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a “Luddite” is “one who is opposed to especially technological change.”

So, the word itself refers to a group of 19th-century English workmen.

These workmen used to destroy labor-saving machinery in protest to show that they were not okay with new (and often positive) changes that could potentially make their jobs obsolete.

The phrase has since evolved to refer to any person who is not good with technology. That’s what makes it such a great choice here.

Finally, it’s unique and engaging. So, even if a reader hasn’t heard of it before, it’s a fun way to keep them entertained.

Check out this email example if you want to know more about how it works:

Hi Team,

Thanks so much for making me feel welcome this week!

I can’t wait to get stuck in and start working more closely with you.

Best,
Sean Tyler

Technophobe

Finally, you can write that someone is a “technophobe” when they’re against technology or the changes that come with it.

According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a “technophobe” is someone with a “fear or dislike of advanced technology or complex devices and especially computers.”

Therefore, you can use this as a one-word synonym that shows someone doesn’t like technology.

It generally means someone is against advanced technology. Typically, this refers to the older generation, as they would have grown up with much simpler systems in place.

You can refer to these examples to learn more about how it works in a sentence:

Howard is quite the technophobe himself. He simply doesn’t understand why people are so obsessed with modern technology.

I’m a technophobe. I’ll be the first to admit it, but I simply do not like learning about new technology or computer stuff!