Kids don't need to learn spelling anymore....

[Tara]

I'm not saying these are skills that will be forgotten in a week, but as generations go on, with the way things are going, basic fundamentals are going to be lost.

 

I worked at a school for a stint.  Children didn't know how to use analogue clocks, and believed that there were at least 32 days in February.  Secondary school-aged kids.  Life skills or not, that sort of thing is appalling.  Especially in a culture where more and more children are raised in families on benefits and inherit the same lacking work ethic that a lot of their parents have, it's a worrying thing.

I wouldn't call knowing how to use an analogue clock a basic life skill.  At least, not in this day and age.  Those things were poorly designed by nature, but at the time, it was the only thing that people had.  Even if, say, digital clocks didn't work anymore, aren't there mechanical clocks that can read time in the same manner as a digital clock?  So, yeah, if it becomes the case where nobody can figure out how to read an archaic clock, then people would probably just adapt by inventing a better system.

 

Also, as far as I'm aware, people have always been idiots.  That's not something that's just popped up in recent times, and there have always been kids with bad work ethic.  I think that people will adapt.  That's not to say we shouldn't be trying to improve what is wrong with society, but I don't believe the world to be in any more danger due to the ignorance of today's youth.

[Katzii]

Maybe not, but then there are many other things people may not consider to be "basic life skills" which are slowly being lost as generations go on.  And even if not for life skills, there are a lot of things for historical purposes that shouldn't be lost.

 

I'm not saying there haven't always been idiots, but today's culture embraces it.  Forget learning how to spell, and add, and read!  Electronics will do it for you!  Action needs to be taken while it still can be taken, and not when we get to a point where people are panicking over skills lost.