Since smartphones became abundant in 2009, we have seen a ton of lifestyle changes and different generations adapting the same technology. As new trends come and go faster than ever, the world is experiencing a wave effect brought about by our all-consuming use of technology. With that comes a list of life and social skills that if not already obsolete, will be dangling by a thread in 2016.
Cursive writing:
Can you even recall the last time you wrote in cursive? Baby boomers and those born before the 1980s may be some of the last generations of note and letter writers. Those born in the 1990s (iGens) and 1980s (Millennials) most likely learned cursive in school, but it’s doubtful they put it to practice outside of grade school assignments. With electronic communication becoming the dominant form of correspondence, many school districts have sought to end of teaching cursive for years. As we near closer to 2016, cursive writing may become as obsolete as Latin has.
Addressing and mailing letters:
Addressing and mailing envelopes may seem outdated to you especially if you’re not writing letters. Even during the holiday season, which seems like a peak time for snail mail, people are adapting technology methods instead. A Christmas card may be posted to Facebook so everyone sees it simultaneously. Event invitations and announcements are being sent through electronic invite apps and services instead of through traditional mail.
Map reading:
With apps like Google Maps and Apple Maps, we’ve grown so spoiled by digital utility and accuracy that most of us forgot what it’s like to read a physical map. When you receive the directions from these map apps, do you simply look at the steps and ignore the actual map? Modern map apps only ask you the address and because of that, we’ll see map skills quickly diminishing.
Library skills:
With technology evolving so rapidly, it’s no surprise library skills are on the decline. A study conducted by Pew Research Center found that library usage for those over 16 years old is at 46%, which is a significant drop compared to the 53% it was at in 2012. Another interesting find was that 27% of people who go to the library are there solely for Wi-Fi use, which means they’re not really using it to find a book with the old-school Dewey Decimal System. Those who do go to the library have the advantage of a full digital lookup, a system that basically hands them the book right off the shelf. People also used to visit the library to conduct research, but with platforms like Google and Wikipedia, that idea is dying out. By 2016, we may even see the expiration of library cards.
Patience and attention spans
With the flooding of digital stimuli and instant access to information from our desktops, laptops, and smartphones, it’s no wonder we lack patience . The instant gratification we’ve been conditioned to receive has led to a lack of patience in people especially when a web page doesn’t load in less than a second or Maps takes too long to deliver directions. In 2016, our attention spans are only going to get worse.
Source: Mashable
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