[DSMan195276]

> Point being, the tools have always existed, and always felt inappropriate or convoluted, but my parents at least were happy to do it for their kids 20+ years ago. From what you're telling me, they're now a lot faster and easier to access and use.

No they're not, the systems that exist today often don't even work and there's no alternative of "just mail a letter to Microsoft and they'll sort it out for you".

"Faster" is also a frankly a silly point - it's not like your parents were waiting at the mailbox until the letter came in the mail, the important question is the amount of time actively spent dealing with these things.

[1dom]

It's far quicker/easier/more convenient to sit in front of a screen and try find some buttons. Your issue seems to be that those buttons have got harder to find and understand - that's a fair point.

My point is that - overall - clicking some buttons and waiting a few hours is far more accessible, faster, easier and less disruptive than what my parents had to do 20 years ago:

It required far, far more effort and thinking and action to find some physical, expensive, modern hardware, digitise signatures, and the post things off.

"Faster" is very relevant in a discussion about convenience and effort. The important point is how convenient it is for the child and the adult. Now, a child has to sit for an hour watching you fumble around on a screen. I had to wait for days and days whilst my parents fumbled around with cables and when to the post box and other stuff.

> the amount of time actively spent dealing with these things.

My parents used to have to spend more time actively dealing with me and my things whilst I was waiting for the post.

We're not going to agree here. You're a parent, complaining about how much time you have to spend supervising your kids. I sympathise for you, the modern world has a whole lot more expectations of your time which my parents didn't have. This is one of the many reasons me and my partner chose not to have kids, sorry.