I'm the same age as you @movingtables and I know what you mean but if I think objectively things that have entered my technology sphere in the last five or so years that, while maybe not excited by, I am grateful for include:
- Webcams, microphones and zoom that allow for video meetings the likes of which I couldn't have imagined when I started work
- Thousands of movies and TV shows stored locally that can play on any TV in the house with such ease my mother can do it. Whether that or you're into streaming, it's a far cry from choosing Sky or ONDigital in the 90s for a wide choice and you had to watch when the schedule told you.
- Ubiquitous WiFi and thus internet anywhere on my property that's a far cry from tethered to a computer and phone line
- Proper speed mobile data. I recall in the early 2000s hoping that I might download an email or two on my mobile phone on the train journey home. Now it's always there all the time pretty much.
- VR has been a revelation for me exercise wise. Something interesting to do and raise the heart rate with no need for any cumbersome gym equipment has been eye opening and appeals to my inner kid akin to playing video games on my Amiga, but boosting my health
- Unlike you the smart home has been very welcome for me. Whether it's routines that turn lights on at dusk and off at dawn to deter burglars or smart plugs that mean I make much more use of aesthetically pleasing floor/table lamps that I couldn't be bothered to go and turn on and off individually, it's handy. While my ceiling lights are all still on regular wall switches, I can't remember the last time I used one!
It's sad because he is missing out on so much, particularly over this last year being in a home 
