Kids Can't Use Computers... And This Is Why It Should Worry You

[GaZinggEr]

2 years ago, in a grade 9 "computer" course, teacher did not know what DRAM was and didn't know what a GPU was, and he thought a 2GHz celeron was a good processor.

[Rhotis]

I just read through the article, and the author is absolutely right. I'm a teenager, and most of my peers as well as adults are completely tech-illiterate. If we're talking about my grandparents, then they have a good excuse. If it's high schoolers we're talking about, then they really don't have an excuse. I've said over and over, kids should be taught how things work, and that is why the way tech was handled at my middle school aggravated me. The IT people knew computers (obviously), but even the teacher who taught computer class (a separate woman) taught absolutely nothing useful besides typing. 

 

Why would you spend time explaining to people how a computer works that have no interest in it and will never have a career working with it?  It would be like explalining how to be an electrician to an accountant.  The accountant does not care.  This is the way the world works.  People find an interest and pursue that as a career.  Not everyone is going to share your interest.  

[Rhotis]

 

 

EDIT: Just to expand a little... I guess it is worth mentioning the car bit. Now, I'm not saying that everyone needs to be OMGSUPERGEEK and building all of their own computers and putting Dell out of business, they just need to have working knowledge. At least attempt to fix the problem on their own. If it's outside of their expertise or talent, then so be it, but it's just like owning a car. You don't need to know the name of every last component under the hood, but for crying out loud at least know how to change a flat, and know what needs to be maintained and when. If you're going to use something on a daily basis, I think it's only fair to yourself and the people around you that you at least grasp the concept of the thing. 

 

Why do you hate tow truck drivers so much?  Half their calls are changing tires.  You wanna add to the unemployment numbers?  

 

The simple reality is we are a specialized society not a generalized one.  Get used to it because its only going to progress even more in that direction.  That is not a bad thing either.  It provides jobs.  

[sezir]

I disagree if everyone knew how to do things described in this artical then people that do know how would be able to get jobs doing it

[TheProfosist]

I skimmed it real quick but really their a reason PC repair shops exist as well as Tech Support and thats why. This another reason why we think most places support sucks because their trained to answer these kind of questions. The other thing is many of the things in question are just stupid easy things (minus the proxy) if they would just poke around a bit they would easily figure it out. if my mom can do it so can they. On a side note im glad i only get called when thing are dire. This is something that every place should have posted that has some sort of electronics http://goo.gl/ZL6Upr .

[d33g33]

Awesome. Just Awesome.

 

I love the "the internet is broken" I get it all the time at work but to be honest have never blinked at it.

[Power]

Here's a classic, I'm sure all of you can relate:
"You shouldn't use programs like <insert program name here>, they don't do any good and you probably didn't mean to install them."

-"Oh okay" *drags the shortcut into the trash bin*
 

[Oseirus]

Why do you hate tow truck drivers so much?  Half their calls are changing tires.  You wanna add to the unemployment numbers?  

 

The simple reality is we are a specialized society not a generalized one.  Get used to it because its only going to progress even more in that direction.  That is not a bad thing either.  It provides jobs.  

See, that's the problem though. Creating jobs around things that really should be general knowledge only perpetuates the problem and causes more articles like the OP. Tow truck drivers have a use, but that shouldn't be helping some Starbucks-huffing yuppie who won't get off his cell phone for 15 minutes to swap out their own flat. They should be pulling accidents or cars that require more than a couple wrenches to fix. And believe me, those things will ALWAYS exist.

 

You're right saying that society is becoming more and more specialized, but why does that have to be at the cost of general knowledge and common sense? Jobs should be niche things to provide services that people need. We NEED people to grow our crops and livestock. We NEED educators in all mediums. We NEED people to manage and organize and supply the stores we buy from. We NEED manufacturers to build parts for our computers. We NEED public services, like police or firefighters or the military. What we WANT is people to do mundane tasks for us, such as changing a tire or fixing a WiFi connection. So many people refuse to get their hands dirty anymore. As consumers we do have a responsibility towards the goods and services presented to us, to know what we're using. You're just going to be wasting your own time and money otherwise.

[TheProfosist]

See, that's the problem though. Creating jobs around things that really should be general knowledge only perpetuates the problem and causes more articles like the OP. Tow truck drivers have a use, but that shouldn't be helping some Starbucks-huffing yuppie who won't get off his cell phone for 15 minutes to swap out their own flat. They should be pulling accidents or cars that require more than a couple wrenches to fix. And believe me, those things will ALWAYS exist.

 

You're right saying that society is becoming more and more specialized, but why does that have to be at the cost of general knowledge and common sense? Jobs should be niche things to provide services that people need. We NEED people to grow our crops and livestock. We NEED educators in all mediums. We NEED people to manage and organize and supply the stores we buy from. We NEED manufacturers to build parts for our computers. We NEED public services, like police or firefighters or the military. What we WANT is people to do mundane tasks for us, such as changing a tire or fixing a WiFi connection. So many people refuse to get their hands dirty anymore. As consumers we do have a responsibility towards the goods and services presented to us, to know what we're using. You're just going to be wasting your own time and money otherwise.

 

"You're right saying that society is becoming more and more specialized, but why does that have to be at the cost of general knowledge and common sense?"

 

This is because now days people think things should just work and if it doesnt it is in no ways their fault or has anything to do with them and they couldnt be bothered fixing it them selves and if it costs even slightly too much to fix theyll just throw it out or get rid of it and buy a new one. As more and more people use things a larger and larger demographic is exposed to them and this is what happens. Also there is a large generational gap in the way people act in this current generation compared to even a couple ago. People now seem to think their entitled to everything got some reason.

[911^NEmeSis]

I read throw some of them and I mean seriously I can't even believe some of this stuff. When I was 6 I was happily using the computer. I mean it's not hard to get used to and learn at such a young age.

[Rhotis]

See, that's the problem though. Creating jobs around things that really should be general knowledge only perpetuates the problem and causes more articles like the OP. Tow truck drivers have a use, but that shouldn't be helping some Starbucks-huffing yuppie who won't get off his cell phone for 15 minutes to swap out their own flat. They should be pulling accidents or cars that require more than a couple wrenches to fix. And believe me, those things will ALWAYS exist.

 

You're right saying that society is becoming more and more specialized, but why does that have to be at the cost of general knowledge and common sense? Jobs should be niche things to provide services that people need. We NEED people to grow our crops and livestock. We NEED educators in all mediums. We NEED people to manage and organize and supply the stores we buy from. We NEED manufacturers to build parts for our computers. We NEED public services, like police or firefighters or the military. What we WANT is people to do mundane tasks for us, such as changing a tire or fixing a WiFi connection. So many people refuse to get their hands dirty anymore. As consumers we do have a responsibility towards the goods and services presented to us, to know what we're using. You're just going to be wasting your own time and money otherwise.

 

 

Well first things first is you cannot force people to learn something.  Either people are going to be interested in learning something or they are not.  

 

After that you need to realize we are already in a time when automation and the global economy is destroying employment rates.  The last thing you ever want to do is anything that will cause the need for less people doing work.  

 

Its also not up to you on what people are WILLING to spend their money on.  IF the starbucks guy does not want to change his own flat tire who are YOU to tell him he cannot pay someone to do it?  That is what capitalism is based on.  If you can afford to pay someone to do something you do not want to do or do not know how to do then that creates a need.  

 

No one has a responsibility to do as you stated.  The only responsibility you have is to take care of yourself the way you see fit so long as it does not encroach on any others rights or liberties.  Biff hiring someone to change his tire and Tonya hiring someone to fix her wifi is doing neither.  I for one am thankful Tonya is an idiot.  I make a lot of money off the Tonya's of the world.  

[CornOnJacob]

Why would you spend time explaining to people how a computer works that have no interest in it and will never have a career working with it?  It would be like explalining how to be an electrician to an accountant.  The accountant does not care.  This is the way the world works.  People find an interest and pursue that as a career.  Not everyone is going to share your interest.  

Because I believe, as do many people who have posted in this thread, that basic things about computers, cars, etc. should be common knowledge so the populace as a whole is less ignorant. For example, nobody will fall for "Download more RAM here!" tricks if they actually know what RAM is and/or have installed it themselves. I'm not talking about teaching adults (although they should know as well), I'm talking about teaching kids. Whether a kid wants to be an accountant or an electrician, they should still be taught math and (basic electrical) science. We have these "computer classes" anyway, we should be taught useful things.

[Oseirus]

Well first things first is you cannot force people to learn something.  Either people are going to be interested in learning something or they are not.  

 

After that you need to realize we are already in a time when automation and the global economy is destroying employment rates.  The last thing you ever want to do is anything that will cause the need for less people doing work.  

 

Its also not up to you on what people are WILLING to spend their money on.  IF the starbucks guy does not want to change his own flat tire who are YOU to tell him he cannot pay someone to do it?  That is what capitalism is based on.  If you can afford to pay someone to do something you do not want to do or do not know how to do then that creates a need.  

 

No one has a responsibility to do as you stated.  The only responsibility you have is to take care of yourself the way you see fit so long as it does not encroach on any others rights or liberties.  Biff hiring someone to change his tire and Tonya hiring someone to fix her wifi is doing neither.  I for one am thankful Tonya is an idiot.  I make a lot of money off the Tonya's of the world.  

 

It's not about "interest" or "caring", it's about not allowing society to slide into a cesspit of uselessness. It's about not allowing the weak and lazy and stupid to ride on the coattails of the few who actually give a damn. Ok, so you're fine with taking the money from someone who doesn't know better, but all you're doing then is making the problem worse. You don't make jobs just by taking over mundane tasks that people should know how to do on their own. You're just passing individual responsibility onto a job that already exists, making it harder on everyone. Tow truck drivers don't just change tires. They waste time changing tires when they could be somewhere else, pulling a broken-down mini van for a mother of five. The IT department doesn't just field calls from angry business people who don't understand how to operate a computer mouse. They maintain networks and infrastructure and make sure that everything operates smoothly so that upwards of hundreds of people can continue to do their own jobs. Again, I'm not saying that everyone needs to know everything ever. Just know enough that you aren't being a pointless burden on other people. People have better things to do than wait hand-and-foot on some daft moron who never bothered to press the "On" switch. And if you really think those types of people are "good" for society, well then I'm sorry, but you're just wrong. Creating a job where someone picks noses for a living just cause some robot took over their assembly line job doesn't help anything. That person should be adapting, learning how to create and program those machines, or finding new ways to make himself useful, rather than just sitting and moaning that things are changing and we need to go back to the old ways. That's just lazy.

 

Sure, maybe in the grand scheme of things, some lady not wanting to know how to fix her own WiFi really isn't that big of a deal, but when you think about how many times and how many ways this stigma is translated, you start to realize there's a serious problem. Not just with technology or what have you, but with life in general. We're not worried about individuals lacking common sense, we're worried about entire generations being spoon fed their lives and never having to lift a finger to earn what they receive. In return, they never learn how to give back. They just allow everything to be given to them and develop an arrogance that lets them believe that they're above contributing to society. Governments LOVE this, by the way. When their population is so ignorant and useless that they don't know how to take care of themselves, it just gives rich men in suits more excuses to take away individual rights and liberties, all in the name of holding the hands of some idiot who can't be bothered to carry their own weight. Governments feed on control, and the less in control of ourselves that we are, the more we're all going to pay for it. The simplest way to keep yourself independent and in control of your own life? Common sense. Don't just roll over and expect the world to keep happening while you sleep, wake the hell up and put your hand in it. You might not have the power to change the world and make everything better, but  you can say you tried, and that when it all comes crashing down and the world blows itself to smithereens, your ashes can rest knowing that at least you weren't part of the problem. 

 

Ultimately, we don't care that Tonya can't use her WiFi or that Biff can't change his tire. We're worried that there are MILLIONS of Biffs and Tonyas that aren't doing a thing about it, and it's just getting worse. Soon the world will be automated and computerized and we'll all be living fat and ignorant on space ships while Wall-E cleans up our messes. It WILL happen, there's no avoiding it. All just because no one could be bothered to change their own tire, and all because no one bothered to try and teach them and make it right. 

[Rhotis]

It's not about "interest" or "caring", it's about not allowing society to slide into a cesspit of uselessness. It's about not allowing the weak and lazy and stupid to ride on the coattails of the few who actually give a damn. Ok, so you're fine with taking the money from someone who doesn't know better, but all you're doing then is making the problem worse. You don't make jobs just by taking over mundane tasks that people should know how to do on their own. You're just passing individual responsibility onto a job that already exists, making it harder on everyone. Tow truck drivers don't just change tires. They waste time changing tires when they could be somewhere else, pulling a broken-down mini van for a mother of five. The IT department doesn't just field calls from angry business people who don't understand how to operate a computer mouse. They maintain networks and infrastructure and make sure that everything operates smoothly so that upwards of hundreds of people can continue to do their own jobs. Again, I'm not saying that everyone needs to know everything ever. Just know enough that you aren't being a pointless burden on other people. People have better things to do than wait hand-and-foot on some daft moron who never bothered to press the "On" switch. And if you really think those types of people are "good" for society, well then I'm sorry, but you're just wrong. Creating a job where someone picks noses for a living just cause some robot took over their assembly line job doesn't help anything. That person should be adapting, learning how to create and program those machines, or finding new ways to make himself useful, rather than just sitting and moaning that things are changing and we need to go back to the old ways. That's just lazy.

 

Sure, maybe in the grand scheme of things, some lady not wanting to know how to fix her own WiFi really isn't that big of a deal, but when you think about how many times and how many ways this stigma is translated, you start to realize there's a serious problem. Not just with technology or what have you, but with life in general. We're not worried about individuals lacking common sense, we're worried about entire generations being spoon fed their lives and never having to lift a finger to earn what they receive. In return, they never learn how to give back. They just allow everything to be given to them and develop an arrogance that lets them believe that they're above contributing to society. Governments LOVE this, by the way. When their population is so ignorant and useless that they don't know how to take care of themselves, it just gives rich men in suits more excuses to take away individual rights and liberties, all in the name of holding the hands of some idiot who can't be bothered to carry their own weight. Governments feed on control, and the less in control of ourselves that we are, the more we're all going to pay for it. The simplest way to keep yourself independent and in control of your own life? Common sense. Don't just roll over and expect the world to keep happening while you sleep, wake the hell up and put your hand in it. You might not have the power to change the world and make everything better, but  you can say you tried, and that when it all comes crashing down and the world blows itself to smithereens, your ashes can rest knowing that at least you weren't part of the problem. 

 

Ultimately, we don't care that Tonya can't use her WiFi or that Biff can't change his tire. We're worried that there are MILLIONS of Biffs and Tonyas that aren't doing a thing about it, and it's just getting worse. Soon the world will be automated and computerized and we'll all be living fat and ignorant on space ships while Wall-E cleans up our messes. It WILL happen, there's no avoiding it. All just because no one could be bothered to change their own tire, and all because no one bothered to try and teach them and make it right. 

 

You need to look at the economy.  The vast majority of jobs are doing tasks that are not too difficult to learn but people simply do not want to learn them or even if they have some knowledge do not want to spend the time performing those tasks.  They have better things to do with their live.  Hell most IT jobs,  including what most of you guys would even call skilled jobs are pretty mind numbingly easy with a little bit of knowledge.  Google itself if people bothered to use it would wipe out the tech support industry.  

 

As for your tow truck analogy go talk to a tow truck driver.  Half of their time is spent LOOKING for something to do unless their company gets cushy contracts on toll roads etc.  Trust me,  they are thankful for people that cannot change a flat tire.  Their familes eat because people cannot be bothered to change their flat tire or carry a self jump start kit in their car.  You really seem to not understand how economies work my friend.  

 

IT departments is a very broad term.  Network engineers do not field calls about broken keyboards,  that is handled by help desk / tech support positions.  Help desk / tech support positions (except in very small companies) are not managing the network.  As I said IT is a very broad field.  Most of the people working in IT though,  perform very mundane tasks.  I started my career in tech support.  Its mind numbing work filled by a lot of people that think they are very knowledgeable about IT but most will never do more than scratch the surface.  Thats just the way things break.  At most companies that have help desk or even external tech support they are running as low as a 5 to 1 ratio of tech support to experienced highly skilled engineers.  The bigger companies can run upwards of 50 to 1 if not more.  I have 20 years in this field at many levels.  

 

I highly suggest you start looking into these professions a little more.  The two I listed and you responded too you honestly seem to have nothing more than a cursory knowledge of...... which is kind of funny since you are ranting about that

[Oseirus]

You really did miss the point of what I was trying to say... It doesn't matter if it's the IT Department, the DMV, or McDonald's. Artificial jobs are not how you save a faltering economy. Especially when the lack of jobs is the result of a broken economy, not the cause. But I digress, I'm going to step back from this conversation. It's straying off topic, and we're just going to start shouting at each other. If you want to take this as me admitting defeat or running away, feel free, although that certainly isn't the case. You are entitled to your opinion, as am I. I just don't have time to sit here and argue.

[brownninja97]

After reading that i wanna learn more about coding.

[JamesIsBatman]

I read it and I'm 14. I know a bit about computers and everyone I know doesn't even know how to format a drive or reinstall windows. I built my first pc just a while ago and it was so easy. I mean I kinda screwed up and got viruses but I formatted and reinstalled windows. I actually researched everything for about a year and eventually my parents let me build my pc. I used my own money and they thought I didn't know what I was doing. I finished it and shoved it in their faces lol. So far it is a great experience

[Tr3vor]

I swear, if I see another teacher with all word documents and power points all over the desktop...

 

This article reminded me of how many teachers, even computer teachers, were incompetent with computers. I've had a teacher back in 4th grade that said that the "Save" button on Word did nothing and that you should use "Save As" only. I tried to explain that "Save" will automatically save over where you originally saved it, but nope, she said it never works...

 

guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh.

 

 

Everything in this blog is pretty much true.

[constanrine5d]

I swear, if I see another teacher with all word documents and power points all over the desktop...

 

This article reminded me of how many teachers, even computer teachers, were incompetent with computers. I've had a teacher back in 4th grade that said that the "Save" button on Word did nothing and that you should use "Save As" only. I tried to explain that "Save" will automatically save over where you originally saved it, but nope, she said it never works...

 

guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh.

 

 

Everything in this blog is pretty much true.

My teachers (all of them exept computer ones) call for help from the "techy" ones like me to "enable" audio in youtube videos... turns out speakers are not plugged in...

[Guest]

Just taught my little sister about CPU's and GPU,s.

 

Tomorrow's lesson is about motherboards and RAM!

[gasho]

I ran into this blogger and his view on this topic... Very interesting read.

 

http://www.coding2learn.org/blog/2013/07/29/kids-cant-use-computers/

[Samdb]

This has already been posted; please use the search function.

 

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/44650-kids-cant-use-computers-and-this-is-why-it-should-worry-you/

[gibbsy81]

Reported

[TheMrBeb]

My parents think that my computer will overheat and set the house on fire...

[Guest Gazzer96]

I already know that I should worry about kids not be able to use computer properly because my nephews are always getting viruses, so I never ever let them use my computer.