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"The Most Educated Generation"

thinkthrice's picture

aka Generation Edible Tide Pod (Gen Zers).   Chef was at a convenience store the other day when there were no less than four Gen Z employees (doing something close to nothing as the song says), so one older woman decides to test their "knowledge."  Asked them how many eggs are in a HALF dozen? 

They all stood around stupefied until one decided to google it.  

I am not making this up!!!!

Comments

thinkthrice's picture

then again some of the curriculum over the last 20 years has been devoid of all practical knowledge.

lieutenant_dad's picture

Then I go back to Gen X parenting fails, since they are the parents of older Gen Z. You shouldn't rely on school to teach kids what half a dozen eggs are.

thinkthrice's picture

Not sure, but I think we learned that in elementary school and it was reinforced by parents.  The way it should be.

lieutenant_dad's picture

Then, as an elder generation, go to the school board and complain that their curriculum is crap. Vote for a state school superintendent that proposes "common knowledge" curriculums. Volunteer to teach kids who aren't learning "common knowledge" information the information they should know. 

It's not Gen Z's fault that their elders picked curriculums that didn't teach what a half dozen means. However, they do seem to have some ability to locate an answer, which is a problem solving skill that is important to have.

I get incredibly tired of older generations being upset that younger generations are stupid, lazy, etc. They're a product of the older generations, and if the younger generations actually fail, that's the fault of the elders. 

thinkthrice's picture

Not all Gen Zs or millennials are stupid or lazy.   I know my bios aren't because I took an interest from day one in their education and taught them on the side as well.  Not all are so lucky.   Just pointing out how pervasive the lack of elementary school basics is and yet the same considers themselves extremely educated.   

advice.only2's picture

While I know this post is more for amusement I will say I have seen those "interviewer on the street" where they ask super simple questions and people of all ages flounder trying to answer them. 

lieutenant_dad's picture

People don't react well to being put on the spot to answer questions, especially if they think someone is trying to make them look stupid. It doesn't mean they don't know the answer; it just means they don't have it readily accessible.

thinkthrice's picture

there is one right outside of a university where colllege students are congregating and they were asked, "What does Y-E-S spell?"

You wouldn't BELIEVE the answers,.

"Who fought in the US Civil War?"  "Name a continent?"   These "students" were overjoyed at being on tv, not nervous in the least, but epic failed all the answers.

tog redux's picture

There are ignorant people in every generation.  Bet you could find a couple in college or grad school who know lots more than you do (or I do). Why paint an entire generation by 4 random people working in a small town convenience store?

thinkthrice's picture

common knowledge or core knowledge.  Every six year old should know that half a dozen eggs equals six eggs.   I realize that every generation tends to knock the one that came before and after however, Gen Z does think they are the most educated in the entire history of the world.   Just ask them.

MissK03's picture

Here is another example:

If I reference time with "quarter after/quarter of" skids have no clue what I'm talking about....

Everyone should know off the top of their head 6 is half a dozen. I mean seriously... haha. 

tog redux's picture

IMO, that's because kids don't use analog clocks anymore, just a change in how things are done. I bet our parents could reference things we don't know because of technology changes. 

thinkthrice's picture

roman numeral knowledge has come in very handy when reading movie production dates.  Now let's all just put down our books and take up "texting talk" from here on out not unlike Aniki's bioho or SD.  Progress!

CLove's picture

nuff said.

The reply: 6 of one and half a dozen of the other...

ESMOD's picture

Hey... at least someone had the sense to look it up..lol.

To be fair, I'm not sure that convenience store employees would be the ones I would expect to be most representative of the knowledgability of a generation.  

And.. yeah.. the "youth" are insufferable with their snide self assurance and side parts and banning skinny jeans.  They are not the first generation to consider 'old" (and there are a LOT of people that they consider old that aren't haha) people to be lame or not having value to add to society any more.  The hubris of youth.. lacking the self awareness that they, themselves will one day age and no longer be in the bloom of youth with unlimited opportunity and potential in front of them.

I mean, I have only a little bit of shadenfreude in my heart when I see my OSD lament that the Gen Z think she and all her fashion is cheugy... lol.  Because she was just like that as a teen.. so dismissive of people if they were not wearing the right thing.. if they weren't perfectly thin... if they dared to wear something too tight if they were overweight.. I once asked her if she expected all fat people to just hide indoors... if she doesn't like how they look... don't look at them..haha.  I actually think she is very insecure and is petrified that she will have an ounce of extra fat.. or be seen as not perfect.. because then people would see she really is flawed...  but all we could do is try to instill some human kindness thoughts and hope they took.

ESMOD's picture

I don't think that was meant for me?  

I'm not bitter or angry at the youth... I see their POV as the same I likely had at their age.. at 17 you think older people aren't cool any more.. and you don't really get that they are even really "humans with their own dreams, interests etc.." until you get to be older and usually enter the workforce where you have more exposure to people from different generations.

When you are young.. you are yourself and peers.. and then you have people like teachers/parents and other adults that fulfill roles.. but you kind of forget sometimes that they have their own lives and aspirations... 

And.. yeah.. schools are definitely doing different things with their curriculums and at home, I think fewer people are cooking from scratch.. or they come from families that don't cook at home.. so it's not a fact they are familiar with.

I remember a few dumb things from my youth.

Bouncing checks because I didn't have enough to pay my telephone bill.. so I sent two checks.. one post dated for a time after payday... yeah.. they cashed both.. I didn't have any idea

Oh.. and I thought that your windshield washer fluid refilled when it rained.. don't ask me why.

 

thinkthrice's picture

whatsoever.   But several posters made reference that those of the older generation are angry and bitter.  Then they narrowed it down to just me being angry and bitter!  And yes things have changed over the years some good and some bad.

 

advice.only2's picture

So this might be a bit off topic, but I have a mom who while growing up would always call me a ditz, or an airhead, or say I was stupid because I'm blonde.  I might ask a simple question like "which way is north" I'm directionally challenged, have been my whole life.  She would retort "really you are that stupid?  I mean I know you are blonde, but you don't know how to read a map?"  So rather than look at me and say "wow you don't know which way North is?  Well lets fix that."  she would belittle me and make me feel incopetent.  Also I have a hard time reading analog clocks and I always get the hour and minute hand mixed up, and I grew up reading analog clocks.  I also still count out on my fingers because numbers don't stick in my head the way they should.  The level of work I do is really important and peoples lives count on my job, I'm good at what I do and it's a very techincal job that requires a lot of problem solving and rational thinking, nobody here at my job has ever called me dumb because I can't read the analog clock we have in the lab, or because I have to reference mathmatical equations when trying to get angles right for testing.  Sorry I know I got on my soapbox, I will get off now.  And again I understood the tone of the post, I'm not upset, just sharing.

thinkthrice's picture

I'm one of those people who have a hard time when people say "drive past the red barn and then go down past the corn field, then there is a mcdonalds on the right" type of directions.

I definitely need the north, south, east, west references. 

CLove's picture

Because I was too shy to speak up they thought I was mentally disabled. Im not blonde, and Im no loner the shy kid. Im glad that you were able to rise above in spite of being pushed down so harshly by someone who is supposed to have your back.

People think Im smart now, lol Biggrin Little do they know!!!

Stepdrama2020's picture

I didnt read all the comments so if this is repeated my apologies.

I heard the tide pod generation has moved onto a new and  better challenge. Climbing milk crates and they post on Tik Tok. Most fall off and look like they are breaking their necks. But hey man let me try *dash1*

Gawd help us all.

ESMOD's picture

social media makes it a lot easier for these "challenges" to spread.... and kids do these things for the likes/clout.  and unfortunately, when you are that age.. acceptanc/popularity/being noticed is higher ranking in your priorities than survival (and a lack of fully understanding the frailty of our human existance).

CLove's picture

Ive seen some posts on Facebook from my friends about the milk crate thing - is this what that is? Sheesh, too bad I cannot unread that.

Stepdrama2020's picture

The milk crates 

caninelover's picture

What a ridiculous waste of time.  This is why I avoid TikTok.

ESMOD's picture

https://www.vox.com/a/teens#year/1972

interesting link.. the site only goes back to people born in 1972.. and I'm older than that.. but shows improving trends in many areas.. one that surprised me was suicide.. perhaps the awareness that I thought meant it was a bigger issue today has really helped reduce it?

caninelover's picture

I was also surprised by the suicide stats.

ESMOD's picture

I wonder if to an extent.. there are things that we percieve to be a bigger problem due to us having access to so much media and on a national and global stage.   Also, the fact that people may be more open about it these days as trying to shed light on a problem where in the past, it may have been a shameful secret to hide.

It also may be that we do, despite so much media talk about poor mental health resources.. have better resources and tools than we did in the past and that more people are liable to take advantage of those resources.  With more focus on mental health and suicide awareness... perhaps we are heading off some of these potential tragedies.. not saying there might not be more room for improvement.. but it seems things HAVE improved at least a little bit.