Clueless teens, 17, baffled by a rotary phone

[xsubsailor]

Words escape me   Video at link.

Two adorably clueless 17 years olds, Kevin and Kyle Bumstead of Iowa, got four minutes to dial a number on a rotary phone. It was their first time using such a relic from a bygone age.

Imagine asking an English speaker to parse some Egyptian hieroglyphs.

In this case, it took the pair more than a minute simply to recognize that Step 1 involved lifting the receiver.

“What’s with all the holes?” one teen asked, before finally realizing you have to stick your finger in a numbered hole and spin the rotary mechanism to dial a specific number.

Talk about the speed of progress.

 

https://www.foxnews.com/tech/watch-2-adorably-clueless-teens-17-baffled-by-a-rotary-phone

[Ronald_55]

That is painful to watch......Makes me wonder if I want to live to a ripe old age in a world that generation runs....

[Raoul]

1 minute ago, Ronald_55 said:

That is painful to watch......Makes me wonder if I want to live to a ripe old age in a world that generation runs....

O I don't know. There must be some way to monetize what we know....

 

[Ronald_55]

16 minutes ago, Raoul said:

O I don't know. There must be some way to monetize what we know....

 

It is called the apocolypse.... with no smartphones, Netflix, or Starbucks those kids wont last a week. Lol

[AuEagle]

Any relation to Dagwood??

[bersaguy]

I have actually at times wondered just how long the generation of the two trying to figure out the phone would last in a world of reality if all the toys and modern inventions just all at once quit working.......................

[bigun]

This world is so screwed

 

[TripleGGG]

1 hour ago, bersaguy said:

I have actually at times wondered just how long the generation of the two trying to figure out the phone would last in a world of reality if all the toys and modern inventions just all at once quit working.......................

Just get on Facebook or any social media when the power has been out for 30 minutes or longer. It's hilarious, sad, and scary all at the same time. 

Edited January 11, 2019 by TripleGGG

[Ronald_55]

53 minutes ago, TripleGGG said:

Just get on Facebook or any social media when the power has been out for 30 minutes or longer. It's hilarious, sad, and scary all at the same time. 

I don't have social media. LoL

[Obiwan]

Wait... they didn't Google it on their smart phones?   

[Erich]

To be fair to the other kiddies, it’s probably a good bet these two are well into the left side of the curve. Or at least let’s hope so. 

The part that was worse to me is the kid that did figure it out gave up on time but was gonna make it.

[No_0ne]

I'm not sure why this should be a sign of the imminent demise of western civilization. There's absolutely no need for teens or anyone else to know how to use a rotary phone, these were analog devices which are no longer functional, as the phone companies moved to digital transmissions years ago.  Rotary phones are a technology that has no discernible use in the modern world, it's akin to expecting somebody to know how to make a mud and wattle hut ...

Edited January 11, 2019 by No_0ne

[Jeb48]

Probably a YouTube instructional video available 

[AuEagle]

4 hours ago, bersaguy said:

I have actually at times wondered just how long the generation of the two trying to figure out the phone would last in a world of reality if all the toys and modern inventions just all at once quit working.......................

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-10/home-depot-panicked-over-millennials-forced-host-tutorials-using-tape-measures-hamme

[Omega]

Not worried, I've seen an 8yo trying teach their grandparents how to use their computer.  

[Murgatroy]

1 hour ago, No_0ne said:

I'm not sure why this should be a sign of the imminent demise of western civilization. There's absolutely no need for teens or anyone else to know how to use a rotary phone, these were analog devices which are no longer functional, as the phone companies moved to digital transmissions years ago.  Rotary phones are a technology that has no discernible use in the modern world, it's akin to expecting somebody to know how to make a mud and wattle hut ...

That is kinda what I was thinking. It is obsolete tech. Like a party line, or calling an operator to connect you. How many of you here know how to set points or adjust your timing? Do you know how to operate the pedals on a Model T? Most likely not. It is obsolete tech. Do you know how to chop down a tree cut it to lumber and build your own home? Of course not, time has moved on from that point and life has become much easier. It is not the foretelling of doom that many of you think it is.

[Chucktshoes]

5 hours ago, Ronald_55 said:

I don't have social media. LoL

Ummm...are you sure about that?

 

 

 

 

 

(TGO is social media.)

Edited January 11, 2019 by Chucktshoes

[bigun]

2 hours ago, Murgatroy said:

That is kinda what I was thinking. It is obsolete tech. Like a party line, or calling an operator to connect you. How many of you here know how to set points or adjust your timing? Do you know how to operate the pedals on a Model T? Most likely not. It is obsolete tech. Do you know how to chop down a tree cut it to lumber and build your own home? Of course not, time has moved on from that point and life has become much easier. It is not the foretelling of doom that many of you think it is.

Yes I can and have.

[BrasilNuts]

I recently went to a little museum next to Norris dam, they have all kinds of old farming and kitchen tools/machines from the early 1900s-late 1800s.  It wasn’t usually hard to figure out what they were for (the signs with names helped lol) but figuring how exactly to use it could take some time.  If you didn’t mind losing a few fingers you could probably speed the process along.

[Ronald_55]

4 hours ago, Chucktshoes said:

Ummm...are you sure about that?

 

 

 

 

 

(TGO is social media.)

TGO (let me sound old) is a message board. I consider that different. If I don't come to the site for weeks, I never even have to think about it. I don't have to open any subjects that I don't want to, unlike a feed of whatever crap my "friends" reposted or "liked".

My wife logged into Facebook on my previous phone once and logged out. I still have contacts of hers that auto imported to my list, even with pics. I still get the occasional notification that I need to log in too. Even though this is a different device. That is the social media I want to avoid. I give up the possibility of seeing deals on stuff there sometimes, but I am sure my wallet needs no additional reasons to be empty. Lol

[Chucktshoes]

1 hour ago, Ronald_55 said:

TGO (let me sound old) is a message board. I consider that different. If I don't come to the site for weeks, I never even have to think about it. I don't have to open any subjects that I don't want to, unlike a feed of whatever crap my "friends" reposted or "liked".

My wife logged into Facebook on my previous phone once and logged out. I still have contacts of hers that auto imported to my list, even with pics. I still get the occasional notification that I need to log in too. Even though this is a different device. That is the social media I want to avoid. I give up the possibility of seeing deals on stuff there sometimes, but I am sure my wallet needs no additional reasons to be empty. Lol

I don’t view special interest message boards like TGO as the same thing as Facebook and Instagram either. Even if technically they fall under the social media umbrella. I killed all that stuff a while back. I’m just giving you a hard time.

[btq96r]

Most of this thread is an inverse of how kids feel when older people just don't get technology.  Honestly, the kids are going to be fine.  What's more of a life skill these days, understanding an app's user interface or knowing how to work a rotary telephone?

[FUJIMO]

8 hours ago, Murgatroy said:

That is kinda what I was thinking. It is obsolete tech. Like a party line, or calling an operator to connect you. How many of you here know how to set points or adjust your timing? Do you know how to operate the pedals on a Model T? Most likely not. It is obsolete tech. Do you know how to chop down a tree cut it to lumber and build your own home? Of course not, time has moved on from that point and life has become much easier. It is not the foretelling of doom that many of you think it is.

Thanks to a childhood of being around these type things I can say neither are particular hurdles. No more than driving damn near anything that will move IF the situation calls for it. Thats the difference I see going forward. So many out there aren't being taught essential things modern tech won't do for you.

While the rotary phone was obviously a poor choice in an attempt to prove a point I understand what they were trying to convey. I believe the rotary phone was chosen because a "phone" is the single most important thing in life to so many. It's how they start and end their day and countless decisions emotions and reactions all start with it. 

An example : I encounter this far too often. I use cash as payment ( the horror I know ) and the cashier has to think about the change to give me back. We aren't talking rocket science, we are LITERALLY talking simple math and yet without their register in front of them they are lost. I've had several tell me "wait, let me just grab my phone and pull up my calculator" all the while me telling them what change I should be given because I done the math in my head as they were attempting to understand the situation. And for the record the register was out of paper, offline, some other BS which is why I paid in cash to start with.

My point is while "outdated tech" is not necessarily the goto thing there are plenty out there that are letting society, media, and the newest tech tool teach their kids and letting the basic fundamentals fall to the wayside. Much like OS commented somewhere else on here that I was reading last night its attrition pure and simple. Yes we are stronger as a society that has the latest and greatest and latest at our fingertips but take that away and a great deal of our population would be F**KED !

Edited January 11, 2019 by FUJIMO
typo, i should proof read more :)

[Dirtshooter]

Sure makes me feel old. Oh the rotary dial phone, and the party line. Hey Murgatroy I still have the flexible allen tool to set the points on a GM vehicle with window in distributor cap. This reminds me of the story of the gentleman that left his keys in his 1956 Chevy at the parts store and some Hispanic guys stole it, drove across town and paid $10 for gas but could not figure out where the gas filler door was. They left walking and the owner got his car back. Just like a 3 on the tree standard shift, most people under 40 would scratch their heads and go, Huh.

[DaveTN]

11 hours ago, Obiwan said:

Wait... they didn't Google it on their smart phones?   

Would have been faster..

https://www.wikihow.com/Dial-a-Rotary-Phone