Raising a generation of nincompoops and wussies....

[GodlessAstronomer]

These pansy-ass kids need to learn to be more like Bear Grylls.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

And if it is not needed to function in modern society?

Different times call for different skill sets.

The problem with your outlook is two fold. First, what you call 'modern society' only exists in a very small part of the world even today. Second, if you know of no alternatives, you are stuck paying a provider for a skill set from said 'modern' society.

BTW, you spin wool by carding it first, the ratio for black powder is 85%, 10%, 5% and, log cabins are best built with debarked trees that have dried for a season. And no I didn't use the intarweb.

 

[BudAshes]

The stupider they are the smarter i look.

 

[KDOG]

Besides, what does that say about all the dumbass middle aged and elderly people who can't figure out what to do with a mouse?

Because using a mouse isn't a BASIC life skill that these wimpified youth still can't do at ages they should.

 

[HumblePie]

The problem with your outlook is two fold. First, what you cal 'modern society' only exists in a very small part of the world even today. Second, if you know of no alternatives, you are stuck paying a provider for a skill set from said 'modern' society.

BTW, you spin wool by carding it first, the ratio for black powder is 85%, 10%, 5% and, log cabins are best built with debarked trees that have dried for a season. And no I didn't use the intarweb.

Actually, I knew those as well since I learned them through TLC and Discovery and my own reconnaissance for seeking knowledge. It was a rhetorical response though. It means that modern people don't need those skills to function in the US today. A skill not needed is of no consequence if not learned. That doesn't mean it is not wasted if someone decides to learn it. Take brewing your own beer. Does every American need to learn this skill? No. We are a specialized society. A few learn it, and the rest reap the rewards. Of course learning how to brew your own beer isn't bad either.

Does having to learn how to tie your own shoes before the age of 4 really matter? Could a person go their whole life without learning this skill? Yep. Actually, shoe tying is a fairly modern concept skill that is being phased out. Go back far enough in history and you'll find that people in the past wore way different footwear that didn't require laces. They either slipped on, or in some cases had buttons.

I'm trying to point out that it is not as big a deal as some are making it out to be. Also, this is not a universal thing either. I still know plenty of teenagers today that know how to cook, do laundry, and other menial skills. But go back in human history again for comparisons. Do you think nobility in say old England a few centuries back knew how to do laundry? I think not.

 

[GrumpyMan]

I would not want to take these kids camping or go through the apocalypse with them, that's for sure.

 

[HumblePie]

I would not want to take these kids camping or go through the apocalypse with them, that's for sure.

Yep, first time the zombie apocalypse happens, they are all going down.

 

[GrumpyMan]

Yep, first time the zombie apocalypse happens, they are all going down.

Lol, yeah they think playing Left for Dead is good training, but that stuff doesn't work on real zombies.

 

[punjabiplaya]

I have to assign some blame to the parents too. My mom and dad taught me "fix it yourself or learn how." I changed my first flat tire (for my aunt) when I was 10 or 11 or something close to that. Can you see a 11 year old changing a flat tire today? Texting, sure but not something like that. I'm glad to see my uncle keeping my cousin (11 yrs old) busy with that stuff. Camping, working on the car, mowing the lawn, training the dog, etc... They're a generation of pussies because they aren't taught how to do shit themselves. All of my friends seem fascinated that I have laid a tile floor in our house, do the routine maintenance on all the cars in the household, maintain the lawn, have a job, and go to school. I was at a customer's house (a middle aged black lady who was working for the local PD) and she started asking me stuff. So I told her about the fixing shit that I do (I recently replaced a dishwasher and a dryer motor) and she was absolutely amazed. She told me numerous times about how her son (of a similar age) would have never been able to do any of that stuff and how I need to find a wife ASAP (lol).

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

thanks to technology i can drive while texting

 

[Alone]

Not that I disagree that in some senses children are seemingly retarded at some tasks, because it's clearly true.

However, isn't the point of technology to facilitate every day tasks? Why should I have to learn slide rule when I have a calculator of some type likely within 10m of my reach.

I understand that the previous, old ass generation might think these skills might be useful, but those people are living behind the times.

I can send e-mail faster than you can write a letter, address the envelope, and drop it off.

I can get ice from the dispenser faster than you can refill, let freeze, and use the tray (not that I do).

I can navigate to a destination using GPS rather than trying to plot it out on a map and risk getting lost.

I can walk just fine, and I don't piss my pants (less few rare occasions, give me a break).

Not that I can't do it the old way, I just choose to do it the faster, more efficient way. Fuck you if you think I should have light a fire by rubbing two sticks together.

Perhaps these people should be hand writing their books and advertising by word of mouth, instead of using the faster, cheaper, more efficient technology to distribute their products.

I'm younger, and I can complete day to day tasks faster and more efficiently than you can. Get over it and stop bitching, just because you don't know how to turn on a computer.

 

[SMOGZINN]

Ehhh ... I have younger cousins who are kids and they know how to use ice cube trays, can openers, tie their shoes, laundry, wash dishes, vacuum, etc. They have chores.

Only SPOILED kids don't have chores, and the fact that technology makes life easier isn't to blame. The blame is very squarely on the parents. Parents don't take the time to raise their kids = kids wind up broken.

This is what this is really about. It seems that the author of that article thinks that kids are supposed to wake up one day and know how to tie their shoes. Children have to be taught, and most of that teaching needs to come from the parents. School is meant to teach them academics, not basic life skills.

Does having to learn how to tie your own shoes before the age of 4 really matter? Could a person go their whole life without learning this skill? Yep. Actually, shoe tying is a fairly modern concept skill that is being phased out. Go back far enough in history and you'll find that people in the past wore way different footwear that didn't require laces. They either slipped on, or in some cases had buttons.

The problem is not in the fact that they can not tie their own shoes, it is that they do not even try to figure it out. The internet has made knowledge so abundant that reason is not needed, and that is troubling.

It is still the parents fault, the schools are just accomplices. They should be encouraging creative and critical thinking, instead of blaming the teacher if their kids don't do well. As parents and teachers we should be giving the child tasks that require them to generalize knowledge they already have, not just regurgitate knowledge for a standardized test. We need to present them with problems that reward them for finding creative solutions, and not expect them to just do what we tell them with no questions.

 

[vi edit]

However, isn't the point of technology to facilitate every day tasks? Why should I have to learn slide rule when I have a calculator of some type likely within 10m of my reach. I understand that the previous, old ass generation might think these skills might be useful, but those people are living behind the times. I can send e-mail faster than you can write a letter, address the envelope, and drop it off. I can get ice from the dispenser faster than you can refill, let freeze, and use the tray (not that I do). I can navigate to a destination using GPS rather than trying to plot it out on a map and risk getting lost. I can walk just fine, and I don't piss my pants (less few rare occasions, give me a break).

My problem with all of this is that technology isn't perfect. It fails and can produce erroneous results. It's one thing to know how to operate a GPS. It's another thing entirely to know how to get where you are going when it doesn't work.

We've become drunk and lazy on technology to the point where it has retarded common sense and ability to perform simple tasks without it.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I did find it interesting that they named cursive writing as an outdated/unnecessary skill. I assume they do still teach that in school, right?

 

[vi edit]

I did find it interesting that they named cursive writing as an outdated/unnecessary skill. I assume they do still teach that in school, right?

I'm 32 and I can't even write my full name in cursive any more. It's some undesipherable scratch that's more like signing my "mark" more than anything. I've really reverted back to just printing my name on signed things like receipts and documents.

Cursive just wasn't something that I continued to use and had no value for. Much like my 6 years of Spanish in high school and college. I'd be lucky to remember a dozen words now since I never used it afterwards.