I mean … they both like visiting the website using a Jackpot Capital Bonus … but what about other things.
Using paper maps …
Even “old people” use Google maps or some other type of GPS system. But as for the skill of actually learning how to read a map … does the younger generation actually need to learn this? Um … yes. Everybody should have a 50-mile radius map of where they live. In an emergency, and you need to “Get out of Dodge fast” and the cell towers are down or the electricity goes down or roads are flooded or a million other things that can go wrong at the wrong time … having a traditional 50-mile radius map stored in the glove compartment of your car is a good idea.
The fact that 20% wish they were better at reading paper maps … does that say something about our school system? Maybe something even as simple as putting up a traditional map on the wall of your house or school is a good idea. Google maps is great for asking, “How do I get from place A to place B.” But if you are trying to get an idea of what the whole community is like, you will not get that from Google Maps. Taking out a traditional paper map will allow you to easily see the whole picture.
Not to mention, who doesn’t love to put pins into all of the locations of stuff: where you want to visit; where your friends live that you talk to online;
Stick shift cars …
Hell … at this point in time, I am not looking forward to being forced to drive an electric-only car in an emergency when the power goes out. It is bad enough when the whole community is flooded, and there are long lines for gasoline.
In my community, it has been raining for the last two days. Our roof is leaking through the ceiling light in the kitchen. Turn the light on, and the breaker switch goes. Now think about an electric car trying to drive through flood waters, and you being inside the car.
Writing in cursive …
If you can write nicely, writing in cursive is pretty. But then, so is calligraphy, and even print, when it is treated as a form of art. Typing is faster than writing, but if you want to remember something, the act of writing helps to keep it in the brain.
And nothing can replace having a shopping list pad on the fridge. But other than that, beyond short notes, most people do not write by hand.
Traditional grammar …
When I was a young person, a person just needed to know spelling and grammar (being able to do it by hand). But in 2023, Grammarly can easily check a person’s grammar and spelling. So in a regular document (for your employer), it is worth using a grammar checker and a spell checker. Some may debate if Grammarly’s recommendations are “correct” or “not correct”, but generally it works better than most people can do by hand.
But when it comes to comments, Grammarly does not integrate well into the text boxes that are used for comments. So it is not used as much. Not to mention that typing with a phone is harder and a lot more prone to typing errors than touch typing.
Sewing …
I admit it. I have owned a sewing machine for the last 30 years, and I never really learned how to properly use it to make something from scratch. But I know the basics. I know how to sew on a button, and how to manually fix a seam. But making clothes by hand, when you take into account everything that is involved (buying a pattern, buying material, buying thread, and the time to sew), it is much cheaper to just buy something. But if you want to take something and modify it, having basic sewing skills are worth knowing — men and women.
Owning a landline …
If you live in a storm-prone area, and the electricity goes out, if your cell phone battery goes out, you have no phone. But a landline will still work. As for remembering phone numbers, in every household, it is important to make an emergency card and put it on the fridge …
- You are at (address of your house)
- Mom phone number; Dad phone number; Neighbor phone number;
- Doctor’s phone number; Dentist’s phone number;
- Non-emergency number of the police.
People panic in an emergency, so having this basic info in an easy-access location is always a good idea.
Card catalog …
This has been gone for at least the last 20 years. But I have recently been in libraries where they do not even have an electronic version of the catalog. The books are just “on the shelf”. Maybe they are in a computer system, but there is no computer available for visitors to look books up. You just have to “look on the shelf”. But then I think there is a correlation between a library not having any type of catalog system and people not using the library.
Balancing a checkbook …
Okay, people do not regularly use checks anymore. But you still need to “balance your checkbook” by looking over your purchases from the last month. It does not matter if the purchases were in the form of debit card purchases or credit card purchases, you still need to “balance the checkbook”. When you don’t, that is when you find out 6 months in the future that a company has been regularly charging you every month when you did not authorize it.
Changing your own oil …
It is not worth the mess. I will pay for a mechanic to do it, but then my car maintenance book had a list of “things to check” every 3, 6, 12, 18, 36 months … so I get the oil changed, and all of the other stuff that should be checked into a car is checked. Just don’t go to a “quick oil change” type place, because they will “add things on”. I have personally found that having a good personal mechanic do these checks, where forming a long-term relationship with the customer matters, you do not get this “add on” stuff. Although, not to sound like are sexist but … if you are a woman, tell the mechanic to “talk to” your husband, father, male friend, etc. Yes, there are mechanics that will try to rip women off because they think that women will not know any better. So involving a male friend in the conversation will help to keep the mechanic honest — even though you know you are the one who will make the final decision.
If you don’t like that option, then just take a basic auto maintenance class at your local community college — even if the only thing that you want to learn is how to change a tire.
Changing a tire …
When I was in high school, I had a friend who took a year-long “Auto-mechanics class”. Her logic was that she wanted to learn how to change a tire. That was the only thing that she wanted to learn in the class. I always told myself that when I finally got a car, I was going to take a basic automotive repair class. But I never actually did … but then, I was very good about doing regular car maintenance (at least paying somebody else to do it), so I never let my tires run down enough that I ever actually got a flat.
The only time I ever actually got a flat tire was when I parked somewhere a merchant did not want me to park. So the store owner put a tack right behind my wheel. Back up, go home, and the next day you have a flat tire.
Having a WhatsApp family group …
When I was younger, once I left to go to college, it was very rare that I spoke to my parents. Long-distance calling was expensive, so we just did not do it.
But as a parent in 2023, having a family WhatsApp group is very common. It is easy to give everybody a message. It is easy to share something. It is easy to stay in touch.
But because of the internet, the expense of long-distance calling is not there. So doing a once-a-week phone call (even if it is just 5 to 10 minutes long), is an easy habit to get into