A survey of 2,000 Britons by Ordnance Survey reveals 20 traditional skills are falling by the wayside and facing extinction. They’re just the latest casualties of technology — examples of digital disruption devaluing more than goods and services, but skills that were once considered vital to life.
20 Skills Facing Extinction
According to the survey, younger generations have a lack of interest in things like reading maps, tying knots and remembering phone numbers. They don’t know how to knit, use a compass, darn a sock or write in cursive. Here are the following 20 skills face extinction.
1. Reading a map
2. Using a compass
3. Tie a specific knot
4. Darn socks
5. Looking something up in a book using an index rather than ‘Googling it’
6. Correct letter-writing technique
7. Understanding pounds and ounces
8. Knowing your spelling and grammar
9. Converting pounds and ounces to grams and kilograms
10. Starting a fire from nothing
11. Handwriting
12. Understanding feet and inches
13. Knitting
14. Remembering a friend or relative’s phone number
15. Remembering a partner’s phone number
16. Identifying trees, insects, flowers
17. Touch typing
18. Baking bread from scratch
19. Taking up trousers
20. Wiring a plug
Top 10 skills considered essential in modern day life
The survey also reveals the top 10 skills considered essential in modern day life.
1. Searching the Internet
2. Using/ connecting to WiFi
3. Using a smart phone
4. Online banking
5. Knowing about privacy setting online
6. Searching and applying for jobs inline
7. Being able to turn water off at the mains
8. Using and following a sat-nav
9. Updating and installing computer programs
10. Working a tablet
The crocheted outfits the tiny babies are wearing were made by my mom. She sells them for $35 each, dolls included. Email me if you’re interested in purchasing one. I have some friends who are waiting to adopt a baby. I asked my mom to make a tiny baby wearing a Christening gown. I’m keeping it for them until they get their baby — the answer to their deepest prayers. I know it will happen.
I did an entry on something like this once, too:
http://friarsfires.blogspot.com/2011/10/if-i-had-hammerwould-i-know-what-to-do.html
I saw; thanks for the comment!
The real shame is that folks seem to have picked up the vocabulary without actually smashing a thumb 😉
The thing in that MacLean’s story that blew my mind was teenage kids — uninjured, perfectly healthy teenaged kids — did not know how to tie their own shoes. I’m not a parent, but I can’t understand how the heck you can overlook something like that.