The youth of today / clueless old gits

Jonah

Spouting nonsense since the day I learned to talk
My son is 21 and has never wired a plug. Why not? Because every electrical item he has purchased has a plug already on it - which is a good thing. Much better than the bad old days when you had to buy a plug for a new electricial item.

If he ever needed to put a new plug on something I would show him how.
 

That-Crazy-Rat-Lady

Well-Known Forumite
Hi - Cocky Youngster here - (grand old age of 26)

I was going to have a rant.

Instead I thought I would tell you a story.....

Many years ago in high school (11 to be exact!)

During a science lesson a teacher gave us each a plug and asked us to re-wire it
I tried and tried - but I am what you would call 'cak handed' I posses no practical skills whatsoever (unless you count paper-mache)
I turned to the student next to me who had done theirs in less than 2 mins
I said 'Hey - wire my plug and I'll pay you 50p'
Needless to say - he made 50p and I got an A.

That - my old fart is called being savvy

So I leave you with this

37fe0f80ad1864f81eb560c80b0a7245.jpg
 

That-Crazy-Rat-Lady

Well-Known Forumite
I don't have a clue about plugs so I'm obviously missing a basic skill.

However @hardwood talking of basic skills, how are you on shortening curtains, sewing a button on, making a casserole, washing, ironing, spring cleaning, making cakes, organising the church tombola, gardening, weeding, charity volunteering, throwing together a dinner party for 8 at a moments notice, changing a nappy, reading a bedtime story, going to work, shopping for food, collecting the dry cleaning ...

We all have different skill sets, what is obvious to you about plugs and cables isn't obvious to others that are busy doing other equally important things.

I can't do any of these either.

BUT I can stand up in front of 40 - 14 year olds and teach them how to put a condom on.

#SKILLS
 

ATJ

Well-Known Forumite
You know what I like? New things. Modernisation. Technology. The metric system. Literacy.

The reason I don't know how to wire a plug is because I don't need to. If I need to, I'll google it. Just like last autumn I googled how to make gooseberry gin and last week I googled the best way to cook padron peppers.
 

wildwood

Well-Known Forumite
My son is 21 and has never wired a plug. Why not? Because every electrical item he has purchased has a plug already on it - which is a good thing. Much better than the bad old days when you had to buy a plug for a new electricial item.

If he ever needed to put a new plug on something I would show him how.

We did this in high school. I always remember to this day that the brown wire was live..... as brown was like poo... and you wouldn't want to touch that either.........
 

sarsaparilla

Well-Known Forumite
In some areas of life there is a generational divide, although often this is the youngsters assuming old farts don't have a clue.

Earlier today I came across a male in his 30s who had bought a toaster off eBay which was posted from Germany and hence had an EU plug. At the age of 30 he didn't know that you could cut the molded plug off and wire a new one in a few minutes.

Sure times have changed and molded plugs are now the norm but I really do wonder about the state of the next generation if they are so clueless.

Sometimes it seems funny how the youngsters laugh at us old farts but lack such basic knowledge such as wiring a plug or making a cement mix.

Have you seen an cocky youngster and then thought to yourself you really don't a clue, feel free to share your stories.
Absolutely true but when we were young we weren't glued to mobile 'phones 24/7 to the exclusion of all things domestic. It's not their fault of course; they've imbibed it for years and now they're addicted. I see them all the time walking along texting or talking. As for Facebook! It's a social disease.
 

John Marwood

I ♥ cryptic crosswords
Absolutely true but when we were young we weren't glued to mobile 'phones 24/7 to the exclusion of all things domestic. It's not their fault of course; they've imbibed it for years and now they're addicted. I see them all the time walking along texting or talking. As for Facebook! It's a social disease.

Phones are freedom

Facebook is the prison
 
Top