About a year ago, I went to Walmart with my friend Kevin to get some oil lamp fuel. We’re both into renovating and using antique kerosene lights. Kevin’s also into collecting and fixing up radios from the 1920s and 1960s.
When you turn on one of Kevin’s Art Deco hardwood radios, the dial lights up, and after a brief warm-up, you can hear Tiny Am’s voice. In winter, it’s great to light up a room with a kerosene lamp; it not only illuminates but also warms the space. For us, the fun is less about displaying these items and more about using them for their intended purpose.
During this shopping trip, we were at a Walmart in New York state, which was unfamiliar to us. The layout was different, and we approached a young employee, possibly in her early 20s, to ask about fuel.
“What is kerosene?” she asked, which caught us off guard.
Just one more time, please
How do you even respond to that? I wasn’t sure. I mean, it quickly became clear that this young woman wasn’t going to be much help. We explained it was a type of fuel and then figured it out ourselves, as it turned out to be near the paint department.
This situation may seem trivial, but it reflects a larger social issue. Many young people don’t seem to know much about the basics of daily life, how things work, or how to achieve practical tasks.
This isn’t just some clichéd complaint from older generations about younger ones. I’m in my 50s and belong to Generation X. In my youth, I considered myself pretty savvy, much more so than my mother and grandmother. But, I think there’s a noticeable difference when you compare my generation to millennials and Gen Z.
A significant gap
There seems to be a definite divide between Generation X and those who came after. Unlike past generations, the gap feels much sharper now. As a child, I enjoyed music, culture, and movies that my parents loved; we all engaged with the same pieces of media.
Consider this: my grandmother, mother, and I all knew what a “record player” was, and watched reruns of the same shows. Today, though, there are young people who might not even know what an iPod is. That was, what, just a decade ago?
Shared culture has dwindled as art, music, and information are now consumed through countless “microchannels” on personal devices. It’s a fast-changing landscape, with updates every few years rather than every few decades.
I can’t believe this
Here’s another quick story. A few years back, I shared about an old rotary dial phone online. I thought younger folks would be curious, just like I was about vintage technology when I was their age. But their responses were really unsettling – lots of indifference, virtual laughter, and emojis conveying disbelief. I found it… well, disappointing.
Living in a digital bubble
This disconnect extends beyond ideas; it’s about the physical world too. With the constant rise of automation and digital tech, many young people seem to struggle with everyday tasks that I find quite simple. Their perception has fundamentally shifted.
- For instance, needing a remote to control an air conditioner just five feet away (really?).
- Or relying entirely on remote controls without any manual buttons.
- Same goes for light switches; apparently, operating a traditional toggle switch is too demanding.
- Using a phone app for basic math when calculating change from a purchase.
- GPS to navigate neighborhoods that even I can find without special guidance.
- Cars now come equipped with features that almost negate the driver’s control, which makes them trickier for me to maneuver in tough conditions.
The tip of the iceberg
These illustrations might appear minor, but they’re indicative of a much broader disconnect between younger generations and practical knowledge. There’s a growing helplessness among them. It’s not just about them failing to know things; it’s that they are increasingly out of touch with reality. It’s concerning, really.
Some of us older folks notice this gap and want to help, but often, our well-meaning advice isn’t received well. For example, about ten years ago, I tried to guide a young cashier when they entered the wrong amount in their register. I remember being in their shoes, and offered a solution. But my advice, rooted in experience, was met with confusion.
Where did it all go wrong?
They shouldn’t need such basic tips, but how did we end up here? A mix of poor parenting and ineffective school systems is part of the issue. But I think the core problem is a lack of connection to the physical world. Today’s kids are so insulated by digital tech that they miss out on hands-on experiences.
I used to be enthralled by old technologies I encountered in shows like “Little House on the Prairie,” feeling a sense of wonder. I learned about how things worked, such as the mechanics behind a hand pump for a water well. Now, I get that the core principles behind most modern gadgets are still based on similar mechanics.
Reality check
I wonder if today’s youth recognize that beneath flashy screens and high-tech features, their devices are just modern iterations of simple machines that do actual work. The fundamentals of our physical world are still paramount. What happens if a majority lacks an understanding of this reality? It concerns me.
I know someone who didn’t realize that pouring water on a grease fire would only make it worse. They figured it was common knowledge, something I learned as a child. Where does that leave us?
