Kids Today & Tech

randomshenans · 20 Nov 2019 at 14:28

This boils my **** how useless kids are, specifically mine. I mean, they can work apps, no ****, but anything more than that and it's like I've asked them to reprogram the ******* space shuttle.

I think the problem is, they've never had to take **** apart to get it to work again, or they won't have a working *insert whatever thing it is* as they just go "doesn't work, need a new one".

They come to me to fix stuff, or even simple stuff. It's driving me mad! They're supposed to be tech generation I'm sure of it, but christ, they're useless.
I'm not old, I'm 33 and 4/5th and these kids are 11 and 15 and while the 15yr old is actually getting better at things like after effects and prem pro (he talks to me like I'm an utter spaz and haven't been around since before this **** was normal) he still wouldn't have a clue about his machine.
I gave him one of mine, as I built it for my wife but she never used it and it was overheating (1700X, 32GB RAM, 500GB m2 drive etc.) and I was like well fix it then... he just didn't know where to start so did nothing, and I ended up doing it. (think it was a dodgy fitting on the cooler pump in the end, replaced it and was fine) I know that's probably hard for him to solve, but we just took stuff apart when I was his age. When did that stop?

You'll probably just say it's my spazzy kids, which would be fair. I'm putting all my eggs in my 5yr old who is already a boss, so maybe there is hope.

VincentHanna · 20 Nov 2019 at 14:33

Maybe his dad could show him how to fix things, rather than complaining to strangers on a forum that he's a spazz?

roccles · 20 Nov 2019 at 14:35

randomshenans said:
he just didn't know where to start so did nothing, and I ended up doing it.

Maybe go through it with him and talk through your thoughts while trying to resolve the problem, everyone has to learn from somewhere.

Edit: Beaten to it

Puzzled · 20 Nov 2019 at 14:43

Ha at least you are honest

I think most of my initial techy knowledge came from watching others (dad, brother, friend etc) and then having a go myself. After that initial leap you learn by yourself, generally by messing around with things.

I do think kids now miss out on more mechanical toys which you could take apart and everything seems to be app based now like that augmented reality scalextric stuff, costs a fortune as well

Django x2 · 20 Nov 2019 at 14:44

This is what happens when 18 year olds have kids and become dads. No patience.

Zatoichi.uK · 20 Nov 2019 at 14:46

It's a little unfair to ask kids to do things they've never been shown. So show them.

Brizzles · 20 Nov 2019 at 14:52

I put my 6 year old up for adoption as it couldn't rewire my house.

Dave85 · 20 Nov 2019 at 14:55

I kind of get where you coming from that kids these days seem to not want to learn about the tech they are using as we have become more of a throwaway culture. I assume you have tried to teach them?

200sols · 20 Nov 2019 at 14:55

Stop buying him new things

Maccy · 20 Nov 2019 at 14:55

Maybe stop referring to them as 'spazzy'

Deleted member 77746 · 20 Nov 2019 at 14:55

People usually learn software first. I'm not sure why you think kids at 13/14/15/16 should be able to fix things. I didn't learn hardware until I was about 18 because I never had the money to take things apart or had access to any equipment to learn and if it broke and I couldn't fix it I assumed I would get wrong so I never touched it until later.

Maybe you should teach them isn't that what you are there for? Unless they have no interest in learning that area. Doesn't mean they should.

Brizzles said:
I put my 6 year old up for adoption as it couldn't rewire my house.

I shouldn't laugh but I did. This must be what OP means.

Thekwango · 20 Nov 2019 at 14:58

and the father of the year award goes to......

randomshenans said:
to solve, but we just took stuff apart when I was his age.

you weren't taking a 1700x (or equivalent) pc apart at 15 and diagnosing and fixing a faulty pump connection, at least not successfully the first time you tried it unless you were very lucky. you are aware if you're kid is a spaz there's really only one person to blame for this?
you've basically just created a thread that reads 'i'm a completely knobber when it comes to raising children' which i doubt was your intention

Biz.Kid09 · 20 Nov 2019 at 14:59

A dodgy fitting on the cooler pump?

How on earth do you expect him to know that and if it was me I don't think I would take apart a computer my dad had given me not knowing what im doing for fear of breaking it further and getting a telling off and having no computer.

Martynt74 · 20 Nov 2019 at 15:06

I do think it's a generation where they don't particularly question things or look to seek out how to do things themselves.

My stepkids come to me and want me to do stuff for them rather than show them how to do it themselves a lot of the time, and if i say i'll teach them they usually say it doesn't matter and walk off.

Although that could just be the thought of my "teaching"

randomshenans · 20 Nov 2019 at 15:21

Brizzles said:
I put my 6 year old up for adoption as it couldn't rewire my house.

I don't bloody blame you to be honest. I would have.

Maccy said:
Maybe stop referring to them as 'spazzy'

Can we not use that word?

Thekwango said:
you've basically just created a thread that reads 'i'm a completely knobber when it comes to raising children' which i doubt was your intention

Haha I'm very proud of my kids, they're absolute legends. The PC was a bad example, but I was taking apart my PCs. He doesn't know what a 1700X is, so doesn't matter.

Point being, it's not just them I've noticed it with when it comes to tinkering with tech.

randomshenans · 20 Nov 2019 at 15:22

Dave85 said:
I kind of get where you coming from that kids these days seem to not want to learn about the tech they are using as we have become more of a throwaway culture. I assume you have tried to teach them?

Was the point, really. We had to mess about with tech. Society today thinks it's good if a phone lasts a couple of years.

stockhausen · 20 Nov 2019 at 15:26

No message.

Maccy · 20 Nov 2019 at 15:27

randomshenans said:
Can we not use that word?

I think it's fairly non-PC isn't it??

VincentHanna · 20 Nov 2019 at 15:36

I opened our 486 DX-33 home PC around 1994, and fiddled around with it - Ended up breaking it (bent pins on the CPU most likely) - I was about 12.

I guess I started learning my way around them from then on, but in some ways they were quite simple - IDE cables to everything. We didn't have things like cooler pumps. No way I would have figured that out.

b00merang69 · 20 Nov 2019 at 15:47

Teens are lazy today and want things done for them or handed to them (most of them not all) I had to learn as I had my first PC is 2001 (30+ year old so in my own home and no real techy friends or family members then) .

It cost over £2200 and was the 1st DDR CPU/MOBO/RAM machine (AMD Athlon 1200DDR) and it plagued with issues Evesham could not fix (long story) even after swapping parts out all multiple times so I had two choices, learn how to fix it or not have a PC and back then there was less tech videos online to hold your hand like now on YouTube but there was good forums etc.

Kids Today & Tech

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