Recently, I stopped by my insurance agency. A personable young man sat behind the reception desk, chatting with another customer. He greeted me with a smile.
“I’m here to pay this,” I said, showing him the invoice and the check I’d already written.
“I can help you with that,” he replied. His face clouded when he saw it. “You want to pay with a check?”
“Yes,” I said, handing it to him.
He hesitated before taking it. “I don’t really have much experience with checks.”
The other customer, a gray-haired gentleman, looked at me and raised his eyebrows.
The receptionist typed my account number into the computer and brought up my record. “I’ve never had my own checking account,” he said. “I don’t think checks are safe. What if I were to write in an extra zero or something? Like $3,000 instead of $300? That would be an expensive mistake.”
The other customer winked at me. “I guess that’s a generational thing,” he said. “I don’t trust Venmo or PayPal.”
The young man seemed surprised. He printed out my receipt, signed it, and handed it to me.
I took my turn at feeling surprised. His signature consisted of large, awkwardly-printed letters, “Jacob Edwards” [name changed to protect his identity].
Noting my reaction, Jacob quickly explained. “I never learned cursive.”
“Are you planning to?”
“Maybe.”
The other customer just shook his head.
I’m concerned less about shifts in teaching methods than I am about transformations in the subject matter itself. I worry about how these changes affect communication between generations and how they affect the ability of young people to function in situations lacking technology.
I know I’m an old codger now, but I remember complaining decades ago that since the advent of smart cash registers, most younger employees have been unable to count back change. Today, young folks are increasingly becoming uncomfortable with cash itself. Earlier this year, when Hurricane Helene caused internet outages, the local grocery store could only accept cash and checks. Their young staff struggled.
What else isn’t being taught in schools these days, and how does that affect our society as kids matriculate and enter the workforce?
My aim is not to criticize Jacob. He is a product of his environment, and I appreciate that someone has taught him good manners.
The point is this: As I watch Gen Z try to navigate the real world, I’m fairly certain that civics and history are no longer taught in schools. Grammar and punctuation have suffered greatly. What about science? The kids are competent with smartphones and social media, but can they think independently and use deductive reasoning? Schools must teach students HOW to think, not WHAT to think. In just a few short years, their generation will be running things.
#MakingChange #makingchanges #Howtothink #genz
Photo by Katt Yukawa on Unsplash
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