Does the average child know how to tell time on a watch?

[scarlet knight]

I saw a spot on Kimmel where they asked young people to read the time on a clock and most could not. Does this portend poorly for owners and makers of analog watches?

[tudorbaja27]

No - this reflects poorly on the education those young people received

[offrdmania]

My niece is 18 and still cant tell time on a conventional clock

[uscmatt99]

Kids will learn what they are taught. I got my kids analog clocks for their bedrooms, and of course there are digital clocks on kitchen devices and their iPads. They could read the time on analog clocks by 1st grade.

I don't think that kids being unable to tell the time on an analog clock is necessarily bad, their skill-sets evolve with their needs.

[Blansky]

I'm guessing if you say "bandit at 3 o'clock" or "I got your 6", there may be issues.

Kids today probably suck at getting the carbon paper right for copies in your typewriter and for any kind of adjustment of the rabbit ears on the TV.

We have failed them.

PS. It's not right to call kids "average". They are all exceptional.

[PeqFB]

Hey Siri, what time is it?
“The time is 11:31 a.m.”

[EEpro]

Average? No. The average is being driven lower year after year. It's 1st or 2nd grade math usually. Depends on the teacher/parent. My 2nd grader does.

[brandrea]

I can attest to this affliction with my teenagers

[330ci]

Originally Posted by Blansky

I'm guessing if you say "bandit at 3 o'clock" or "I got your 6", there may be issues.

Kids today probably suck at getting the carbon paper right for copies in your typewriter and for any kind of adjustment of the rabbit ears on the TV.

We have failed them.

PS. It's not right to call kids "average". They are all exceptional.

How else are we supposed to measure performance then? There will always be average people, below average, and above average. When do all these kids stop being exceptional? What’s the proper age to let someone know that they’re average at best lol 😂

Start em young, there’s nothing wrong with showing children their strengths and weaknesses. I was a below average reader early in my childhood. Took me a few years of focus and practice, and soon I was above average. Had I been told I was exceptional when I was mediocre, It would’ve done nothing to help me improve.

I’m not a parent so maybe things will change a bit when I have my own. But if I had a kid who was below average intelligence, I wouldn’t take that as an insult, rather those would be our areas of focus for improvement.


As for intelligence, I think society in general is far less intelligent than it was 30-50years ago. Technology has significantly impeded plenty of people’s need/desire to understand math. Even rudimentary math skills seem to have fallen to the way-side from what I’ve seen. The fact that estimated tip totals line the bottom of nearly all my receipts at restaurants seems to be another tell tale sign as well.

Do kids need to learn how to read clocks? Probably not. But like cursive, it’s a good skill to have even if entirely useless imo

[ltmgeller]

Originally Posted by tudorbaja27

No - this reflects poorly on the education those young people received

This

[SPMN]

I'm sure they can. Kimmel is only going to put up the ones that can't for the laughs. I know most kids aren't in school right now, but they still have analog clocks in every classroom. I guarantee that knowing when class gets out is incentive enough to learn how to read a clock.

[RyanJ]

I could easily go out on the street and ask "older" folks questions that would also make them look incredibly stupid.

Are there things older generations know that the younger generations do not.. Of course..

Are there things that the younger generations know that the older generations do not.. Of course..

[-dustin]

my 14yr old can't tie his shoes.

but he can read an analog clock, as well as a digital clock in 24hr time without having to think too much.

[martinr]

If you can’t read the time on an analog clock you’re an idiot.

[Stud Screw]

Originally Posted by martinr

If you can’t read the time time on an analog clock you’re an idiot.

The same could probably be said of those who cannot proofread their own sentence.

[martinr]

Originally Posted by Stud Screw

The same could probably be said of those who cannot proofread their own sentence.

Funny. It’s been edited. Why waste time proofreading when you can do it for me?
And, could the same be said of those that can’t spell or express themselves properly like in your signature line?

[golftime]

Given what I have read so far, I probably shouldn't (but I will) bring up the fact that reading an analog clock is going the way of cursive writing.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by golftime

Given what I have read so far, I probably shouldn't (but I will) bring up the fact that reading an analog clock is going the way of cursive writing.

I always curse when I write. My writing now sucks. I can't even form the damn letters. The last time I actually 'wrote' a letter was probably to my probation officer when I was 9. With a pen you had to dip in ink. Now I have to print like a moron with big capital letters.

If we ever have a worldwide long term power outage at least I'll be able to tell the time but that's nothing to write home about.

[swils8610]

If it’s digital/smart watch they can.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[swils8610]

Originally Posted by martinr

If you can’t read the time on an analog clock you’re an idiot.

Poor statement.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[martinr]

Originally Posted by swils8610

Poor statement.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Likewise

[swils8610]

Originally Posted by Stud Screw

The same could probably be said of those who cannot proofread their own sentence.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[tudorbaja27]

Originally Posted by martinr

If you can’t read the time on an analog clock you’re an idiot.

Sometimes the truth hurts. The above statement is true (in my opinion).

[gnuyork]

Originally Posted by tudorbaja27

No - this reflects poorly on the education those young people received

Originally Posted by martinr

If you can’t read the time on an analog clock you’re an idiot.

Originally Posted by tudorbaja27

Sometimes the truth hurts. The above statement is true (in my opinion).

So by your 1st post are you assuming that if young people were never taught how to tell the time, then they are idiots for not knowing how?

If kids are never taught something it doesn't make them the idiots for it.

[martinr]

Originally Posted by gnuyork

So by your 1st post are you assuming that if young people were never taught how to tell the time, then they are idiots for not knowing how?

If kids are never taught something it doesn't make them the idiots for it.

Who are these “kids” and how old are they? How can someone not learn something so basic? It’s not like a clock or a watch is something so rare. Hasn’t just about everyone seen one. And you don’t need to have a masters degree or even take a class to learn how they work with regard to telling time. So if you actually live in a civilized society and don’t know how to tell the time from looking at an analog clock or watch that makes you an idiot in my opinion.

[CashGap]

Grab ten sixty year olds. Ask them to:

1 - Forward an email, with an additional attachment, and a comment but without their own signature line

2 - Receive a photo via email, resize it to 50%, post it to a message board

3 - Video yourself lip-synching to a song

The footage would be hilarious, it would be easy to show that 60 year olds are stupid.

[martinr]

Originally Posted by CashGap

Grab ten sixty year olds. Ask them to:

1 - Forward an email, with an additional attachment, and a comment but without their own signature line

2 - Receive a photo via email, resize it to 50%, post it to a message board

3 - Video yourself lip-synching to a song

The footage would be hilarious, it would be easy to show that 60 year olds are stupid.

So basically you agree with me.

[Laszlo]

No.

But have you taken a steam train lately?

Or listened to a CD?

Watch a VHS?

Same thing.

No reason to expect young people to go backwards.

[martinr]

It’s not going backwards it’s learning how to do something. Your argument about going backwards doesn’t make sense. Look at the popularity of vinyl records now. Imagine a young person watching TV and flipping through channels. They get to 60 minutes and see and hear the ticking sound of a clock. What do they think? Do they scratch their heads and think what is that? It must be a bomb about to go off.

[TheVTCGuy]

I still churn my own butter and slice my home-made bread.








OK, so that’s a lie.

I agree the majority of kids probably can’t tell analogue time. I understand it is (probably) just the way things are today, but I find it troubling. As someone pointed out, script hand-writing will probably be disappearing some day too, progress? Maybe....