I'm a middle aged dinosaur and I feel the same as you about this!

These "prints" are basically just design files that a small computer can process/render into a code language that a programmed machine can "print" on an axis layering environment.

In a strange way, 3D printing is a bridging between the digital world and the material world. It's actually a little scary because robots can build their own parts with machines like this and sci fi like self replicating robots could happen.