Boomers Are Shocked That Gen Z'ers Don't Have These "Common Skills"
Generational squabbling is fun. Older folks love complaining about how kids these days wouldn't be able to function in 1971. And the younger generations whine about how Boomers aren't able to function . . . now.
A website has put out yet another list of "common skills" that Boomers are "shocked" that Gen Z'ers don't know. And here are some of them:
1. How to read a map and figure out directions without GPS. (For most of these, there's a clear flip-side: "Liam, can you show me again how I get the directions to your baseball game to go on my car's 'computer'?")
2. How to address a piece of mail.
3. How to unclog a toilet using a plunger.
4. How to tell time on a clock with hands.
5. How to count correct change.
6. How to type on an actual keyboard.
7. How to mend clothes and sew on buttons.
8. How to cook.
9. How to do "basic handyman skills" . . . like "simple outlet replacement, changing a light fixture, or installing a shelf on the wall."
10. How to write a check.
11. How to use a manual can opener.
12. How to write in cursive.
13. How to drive stick shift.
14. How to read Roman numerals.
15. How to use non-mobile technology. Seriously . . .
One senior said, quote, "I'm not kidding. Young people who have mostly only used phones haven't the slightest idea where a file went if they downloaded it or what to do with a PDF.
"At one of my last jobs, one task was helping the college interns with their work computers . . . [and] they don't even know Control C and Control V."
(Buzzfeed)
Originally posted on April 23rd, 2025