Gen Z student's class was asked to read analog clock on worksheet and his peers' response baffled people
With changing times, the technology we use has also transformed quite a bit. From the modes of transportation and commerce to something as simple as a clock, can be really different for the younger generations to comprehend their work. But that could also mean that GenZ and Gen Alpha might not know about things that are like second nature to people older than them. However, people on the internet were quite surprised when a high school senior, u/Dazzling-Yam-4308, shared that people in their grade didn't know how to read analog clocks.
"So many kids couldn’t read an analog clock that the teacher gave us this worksheet," the student shared. "I am a senior. All I can say is yikes…" They shared the worksheet meant for second graders. It was supposed to check if a person could tell the time with 1-minute intervals. Also, it included a part on reading rulers. The student who posted the worksheet answered each question about time and ruler readings correctly. The older generations, even millennials or some older Gen Zers have learned how to read analog clocks pretty early in life because they were the most prevalent kind of clocks around them.
Many people in the comments felt that learning how to use an obsolete technology can be really important. The person replied, "I wouldn’t say that learning to read an analog clock is useless. It helps the visualization of time, which digital clocks can’t do as well. It also helps counting skills which are important to adolescents growing up. Just because I’m never going to use calculus doesn’t mean it isn’t useful to learn." They also admitted, "My family has a lot of analog clocks, which is kind of funny now that I think about it. There’s one in all of our rooms and one in the kitchen." The internet had mixed views about the incident.
u/SpaceSeparate9037 wrote, "People that can’t read a clock are embarrassing to me. Yes, you can read it on your phone, but it’s a basic skill to read a clock. Kindergarteners learn that." u/jpollack21 commented, "In most schools and businesses, you have analog clocks on walls. Besides my alarm clock (and my phone), I cannot think of the last time I've seen a straight digital clock. Hell, in my entire college campus, I can't think of a single hall or room that doesn't have an analog clock." Another user shared, "When I don't do something for a while, I forget it. I have only ever needed to use an analog clock like maybe once within the past 4 years. Because I don't need to use them often, I forget."
u/SpicySavant remarked, "When I was a kid, I could immediately tell what time it was and not even have to read the numbers or count the minutes. No thinking was required, it was as easy as reading it on my phone. I can read a clock and most people who learned probably do still know how to read them, but it’s not second nature anymore because you lose skills you don’t use. The human brain is crazy efficient! It’s going to forget things that it doesn’t use. I know people who forgot whole languages they were fluent in." u/A_Veliciraptor20 expressed, "We learned how to read an analog clock in 2nd grade when I was a kid. The fact that they no longer teach that in school or cursive is really sad. I get that it's probably not going to be useful 99% of the time, but neither is mitochondria being the powerhouse of the cell."