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As times change, so do the skills required to succeed. While learning new skills has never been easier (thank you, internet!), some of the skills that were mandatory for the previous generation have become somewhat rarer (and in some cases, highly sought after) as new technology and skills have come along to augment or replace them. We’ve found five skills that seem to be most common among a certain generation, and we want to celebrate them before they become even rarer!
Handwriting
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We’ve gained a lot from our transition to electronic communication, but the result is that no one seems to be able to write by hand anymore. Cursive may not seem like the most important thing in the world but learning how to do it was once an integral part of childhood – and some argue practicing it enhances motor control and development.
Sewing
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No one expects everyone to be able to sew like a professional tailor, but being vaguely competent with a needle and thread used to be much more common. But what a universally useful skill it is! While cursive handwriting is less common because of the advent of computers and keyboards, people still wear clothes, and clothes still need occasional repairs. Enter the humble needle and thread. Some studies even show that in addition to their lack of sewing ability, younger people don’t know how to do laundry as well as their parents.
Reading maps
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Services like Google Maps have made life exponentially better for millions upon millions of people, but they’ve also given people who are bad at navigating a lot of cover. Not too long ago, it seems like everyone knew how to read a map — probably because they had to be able to do it or they wouldn’t get to where they were going. These days it seems like a bygone skill, or maybe they’re just using the wrong maps.
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Being outdoorsy
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Skills like chopping wood, catching fish, pitching tents, building and cooking over fires — generally being able to survive in nature for a few days — used to be in our collective DNA. Spending some time away from it all was an obligation to oneself. Nowadays? Not so much. Activities like camping have gone upscale and become “glamping,” which is less about ability and more about the kind of luxuries and conveniences that camping is supposed to get us away from for a little while.
Fixing cars
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Not everyone has the time or the resources to be able to take apart their engine and put it back together, so it’s understandable that most people take their vehicles to mechanics for maintenance instead of doing it at home. But one reason that mechanics are known to occasionally overcharge is because people are less aware of their car’s inner workings than they used to be. Luckily, learning how to do minor repairs on your car is still an accessible and rewarding learning process.
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