Current Events > Profiting off Zoomers'/Gen Alpha's lack of tech/media literacy seems smart.

(+) Yeah! (+)

They can't use computers, they don't understand how filesystems work and short-form video and social media have rotted their brains so much that they don't even have basic media literacy. I saw this constantly at my last two jobs with people as old as their mid twenties.

If you owned a PC repair business you could fleece these demographics out of their money.

I am so confused about the average Zoomer being worse than the average millenials in term of technology. Why did this happen? Of course some Zoomers are excellent and some millenials are bad, but still

epik_fail1 posted...

I am so confused about the average Zoomer being worse than the average millenials in term of technology. Why did this happen? Of course some Zoomers are excellent and some millenials are bad, but still

Basically, Apple and Google made it VERY easy to make you THINK you know how to use a computer, but in reality, you know nothing about how to actually use a computer.

Can the average Zoomer really not assemble a PC?

epik_fail1 posted...

I am so confused about the average Zoomer being worse than the average millenials in term of technology. Why did this happen? Of course some Zoomers are excellent and some millenials are bad, but still

I guess by growing up in the 90s where you had to know what a floppy disk was and computer blue screening all the time and trying to hide your porn files from your mom and daddy made millennials quick to learn

I remember in middle school showing friends how to bypass the school internet filters

also remember video game consoles didn't used to be just plug and play

had to fumble around with every tv you plugged it into to get them to work

now it is just hdmi and done

OneThatFollows posted...

this meme is dumb. Even if they aren't technically literate they've been immersed in it since birth. They can run circles around non-Zoomies when it comes to tech.

so they know how to format a SD drive into fat32 in windows 10 ?

WingsOfGood posted...

so they know how to format an sd drive into fat32 in windows 10 ?

Because that's a super common skill among the people you went to highschool with, yeah?

WingsOfGood posted...

had to fumble around with every tv you plugged it into to get them to work

Ever since the 2600, it's been daisy-chained RF adapters, and either channel 3 or 4.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJRvYsCG6Yw

DrizztLink posted...

Because that's a super common skill among the people you went to highschool with, yeah?

point taken

The media literally aspect is legitimately troubling. I swear to god things like TikTok have actually corroded their ability to differentiate authentic videos or information from imitations and deceptions. I see it constantly on some sites like reddit where subs with a younger audience will fall for fairly obvious lies and misdirections.

Pogo_Marimo posted...

The media literally aspect is legitimately troubling. I swear to god things like TikTok have actually corroded their ability to differentiate authentic videos or information from imitations and deceptions.

what!?!?!? that sounds like my boomer parents surely young people not this way

Job security for the Xers who actually know how shit works.

WingsOfGood posted...

what!?!?!? that sounds like my boomer parents surely young people not this way

I have seen teachers claim a lot of teenagers worship Andrew Tate.

WingsOfGood posted...

I guess by growing up in the 90s where you had to know what a floppy disk was and computer blue screening all the time and trying to hide your porn files from your mom and daddy made millennials quick to learn

I remember in middle school showing friends how to bypass the school internet filters

Legit had a laptop go red-blue-black screen. The Friday before the Monday the paper was due.

Is this the millennial version of "kids today don't know how to write in cursive"?

DeepFriedSquid posted...

Is this the millennial version of "kids today don't know how to write in cursive"?

Nah it's a genuine problem
A lot of kids are raised on tablets and phones so the concept of 'download the file' doesn't exist. Or say like 'email it to me' unless the file is on onedrive or google drive or maybe apple cloud they'll have no clue
a lot of them struggle to use a keyboard or mouse too

My daughters gunna know how to alt tab, alt f4, window d, no cell phone if she cant type at least 60 wpm

OneThatFollows posted...

this meme is dumb. Even if they aren't technically literate they've been immersed in it since birth. They can run circles around non-Zoomies when it comes to tech.

They are about as good as the average boomer. They can use a tablet and a social media platform and that is the extent of their technical knowledge

DeepFriedSquid posted...

Is this the millennial version of "kids today don't know how to write in cursive"?

Not a hell of a lot of people miss out on job opportunities for not knowing cursive.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


Why, its true lol

Kloe_Rinz posted...

They are about as good as the average boomer. They can use a tablet and a social media platform and that is the extent of their technical knowledge

what will the work force look like in 20 years though

just teams calls about teams calls?

UndefeatedGOAT posted...

just teams calls about teams calls?

that's right now.

UndefeatedGOAT posted...

what will the work force look like in 20 years though

just teams calls about teams calls?

If teams doesnt auto-open they wouldnt even know how to open teams to make a call

Kloe_Rinz posted...

If teams doesnt auto-open they wouldnt even know how to open teams to make a call

okay enough schtick brother im the only one here being nice about things

Ppl still use computers? Wtf

OneThatFollows posted...

this meme is dumb. Even if they aren't technically literate they've been immersed in it since birth. They can run circles around non-Zoomies when it comes to tech.

Knowing how to download music on Apple and using Google Classroom isn't nearly as advanced as you think it is.

If there isn't an app to do it for them, there isn't much the average HS or Grade School kid knows how to do on an actual PC.

I'm not even talking about complicated things, like programming. Common things like copying folders, adding attachments to an email, adding a printer to a network, etc.

All they gotta do is YouTube it

Captain_Qwark posted...

My students are notoriously bad with anything that's not a phone or tablet. Kids just don't have exposure to pcs generally. I used to have classes making entire (simple) websites and now even Google slideshows are kinda hit or miss

My niece is 15 & she's the same way.

Yeah I do not understand how the fuck the newer generation is so shit with computers. My gen are tech whizzes >_> It should be getting better each gen, not worse

WingsOfGood posted...

also remember video game consoles didn't used to be just plug and play

had to fumble around with every tv you plugged it into to get them to work

now it is just hdmi and done

Lol my 4yo ass figured out how to hook up an RF Switch on my Super Nintendo so I could play DKC. I still dont understand how the hell past me did that but he really wanted to play video games I guess >_>

I work with a lot of Gen Z and one thing I've noticed is that they do not understand bookmarks. They'll have hundreds of tabs open at once and just try to memorize where what they want is.

AllHeDoesIsWin posted...

I work with a lot of Gen Z and one thing I've noticed is that they do not understand bookmarks. They'll have hundreds of tabs open at once and just try to memorize where what they want is.

Is this real or do you have to lie a little?

Supersex420 posted...

Is this real or do you have to lie a little?

Hundreds is obviously an exaggeration, but I'm not lying about anything else. Like I'm talking 50+ tabs and I've seen this with multiple people

AllHeDoesIsWin posted...

Hundreds is obviously an exaggeration, but I'm not lying about anything else. Like I'm talking 50+ tabs and I've seen this with multiple people

People here brag about this though

Don't even get me started on our "backlog" issue. Other gens play, like, one game.

I was shocked when I learned Zoomers dont know how to read clocks.

AllHeDoesIsWin posted...

Hundreds is obviously an exaggeration, but I'm not lying about anything else. Like I'm talking 50+ tabs and I've seen this with multiple people

Lol, admittedly I'm a Gen X'er and I always have 30+ tabs open too.

BlueTigerLion posted...

I was shocked when I learned Zoomers dont know how to read clocks.

what how. i just look at the numbers. are you talking about the clocks without numbers? i just guess for those and im right most of the time

AllHeDoesIsWin posted...

I work with a lot of Gen Z and one thing I've noticed is that they do not understand bookmarks. They'll have hundreds of tabs open at once and just try to memorize where what they want is.

I've also noticed because they don't understand filesystems they just fill their desktops with every icon imaginable. I remember I was working on one customer's computer which was filled with Steam/Epic game shortcuts and they had difficulty grasping that (at least on Steam at the time) you could categorize your games and make them easier to find and launch. They asked me verbatim "Like the Steam categories or game categories?"

Ratchetrockon posted...

what how. i just look at the numbers. are you talking about the clocks without numbers? i just guess for those and im right most of the time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvLKbhXqEKw

BlueTigerLion posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvLKbhXqEKw

omfg those letter clocks are tough for sure i forgot about those

Gen Z's just growing up in a time where tech is very accessible and very easy to use. Most people don't need to spend hours tinkering with random programs just to make them work on their PC, since everything just works as intended, and therefore they don't understand as much about how it works. It's not that much of a problem imo-- the people who care will learn anyway and those who don't care aren't forced to borderline become tech support pros just so their shit works.

Darkfire12 posted...

Gen Z's just growing up in a time where tech is very accessible and very easy to use. Most people don't need to spend hours tinkering with random programs just to make them work on their PC, since everything just works as intended, and therefore they don't understand as much about how it works. It's not that much of a problem imo-- the people who care will learn anyway and those who don't care aren't forced to borderline become tech support pros just so their shit works.

theres like 6 years of society left, they should really get some skills for the end times

BlueTigerLion posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvLKbhXqEKw

Just completely lost my boy with the "am or pm?"