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Apocalyptic Cutesmasher

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It's a stitch up! How seven out of 10 young people don't know how to sew a button

Hand a young person the latest gadget and they know what’s what.

Hand them a needle, thread and a button and they are practically useless.

Seven out of 10 young adults do not know how to sew a button and many struggle with other basic tasks which are costing them an estimated £120,000 over a lifetime.

A generation that takes technology for granted are hopeless at practicalities according to a study of 2,000 adults.

Two thirds have no idea how to put up shelves and eight out of 10 have never changed the oil in a car.

Instead of fixing things, they buy them new and they employ tradesmen in to do even the most basic jobs according to research for retailers Clas Ohlson.

Without the practical skills such as servicing their own car, growing your own herbs and vegetables and fixing your radiator are on the decline as more UK families turn to tradesmen to do the job.

The financial cost of being useless is put at an astonishing £2,000 a year, according to an independent report released by professor of sociology, Laurie Taylor.

The report says that ‘society has been at fault for neglecting an older generation, dismissing knowledge and skills it has to share, rather than harnessing it’.

That is despite the potential of Baby Boomer generation to be the 'most extraordinary resource' for the UK and its economy.

Three quarters of those aged 20-35 admitted that better practical knowledge would help them save money.

Builder and gardener Larry Lamb is fronting a campaign by Clas Ohlson to pool top practical tips from the public on Facebook.

He said: ‘We've all got used to computers doing the work for us, and it's a shame the younger generation are losing out on learning practical skills that one day might earn them a wage.

‘Our aim is to create a digital home for all of the nation's practical wisdom so that the younger generations can easily access the vast amount of talent and expertise offered by the over-65s.’

BASIC SKILLS THAT PEOPLE CANNOT DO

•93 per cent have never grown your own herbs
•40 per cent wouldn't know how to fix a leaking tap
•73 per cent spend £250 or less on maintaining their garden/outside space
•79 per cent have never serviced their own car
•One in three people over the age of 65 said they had made sewing repairs; 70 per cent would buy a replacement or go to the tailor if an item of clothing was ripped rather than do it themselves
•76 per cent think better practical knowledge would help save them money


source


On the positive side, there will be niches for entrepreneurs to fill!

Sparkly Shapeshifter

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I don't know how to sew a button. I can't even cook.

Kawaii Shoujo

Basically if it all boils down I can actually learn at how to cook, and truthfully I do know how to sew a button... but very simple repairs is all I can do when it comes down to sewing.
I feel like this article has a point-- you can save money by learning to fix stuff yourself-- but it has that "damn kids and their iPuters!" tone that implies that our technology is inherently frivolous. I don't have my own personal household Baby Boomer to ask for advice. So, I could go to a library and look up how to sew a button, ooooor... I could grab my phone and find a YouTube video in 30 seconds.

So I think what we need to be doing is teaching people to research. Give a man a fish, etc....

Apocalyptic Cutesmasher

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Blood Valkyrie
I don't know how to sew a button. I can't even cook.


I own a very basic cookbook. It even has a paragraph about how to boil water! (I love this book.) heart

Fashionable Hunter

Blood Valkyrie
I don't know how to sew a button. I can't even cook.


Buttons!
Laura, the Italian homecook
Chef John, the awesome professional
emotion_kirakira

I think the Youtube cooks I listed are the most relatable/easy to follow/best techniques on Youtube. Both of them have a huge following.

Sparkly Shapeshifter

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kakteed
Blood Valkyrie
I don't know how to sew a button. I can't even cook.


Buttons!
Laura, the Italian homecook
Chef John, the awesome professional
emotion_kirakira

I think the Youtube cooks I listed are the most relatable/easy to follow/best techniques on Youtube. Both of them have a huge following.


4laugh
Thanks!

Fashionable Hunter

Blood Valkyrie
kakteed
Blood Valkyrie
I don't know how to sew a button. I can't even cook.


Buttons!
Laura, the Italian homecook
Chef John, the awesome professional
emotion_kirakira

I think the Youtube cooks I listed are the most relatable/easy to follow/best techniques on Youtube. Both of them have a huge following.


4laugh
Thanks!


Hehe, welcome!

Tipsy Wench

I tried sewing once, and it just fell apart. I remember even taking a class in middle school about sewing and I was always "the hopeless one" that the teacher would just get frustrated with.

I also tried cooking, but nothing works out...even when I follow recipes. rofl
Some of us will never be good at this sorta thing.

Feral Nymph

This article a bit weird in the things that it berates younger generations for not knowing. There's a world of difference between sewing a button and changing out the oil in your car.

Ahh, but it does remind me that I never, ever have to take care of our tiny yard because lily-of-the-vallies have taken it over with a surprising ferocity. So I always have flowers in the spring and nice-looking green plants in the summer. <3

Fashionable Hunter

Vertigo_Kiwi
I tried sewing once, and it just fell apart. I remember even taking a class in middle school about sewing and I was always "the hopeless one" that the teacher would just get frustrated with.

I also tried cooking, but nothing works out...even when I follow recipes. rofl
Some of us will never be good at this sorta thing.


Same, actually. I literally failed the sewing class in 8th grade sweatdrop (I did well in the cooking class though!) But it's much easier if you're doing it for yourself and not worrying you're going to fail. It also gets easier and the stitching gets better with practice, so even if you suck, keep sewing!

Really? The biggest problem people seem to have with cooking is that although they say they're following the recipe, they're getting flustered and skipping steps wink I've been told new cooks should always start with either a favorite recipe or tomato sauce.

If you're serious about being able to make at least something you can serve to friends or family, then try this sauce over store-bought pasta. Three easy ingredients, plus salt and maybe pepper. I haven't tried it personally because I have a recipe my family really likes, but I've heard that it's strangely fantastic. It's a very easy recipe and it's a 45 minute pasta sauce, which is a pretty short time for pasta sauce.

Shirtless Gawker

I am not a big fan of articles like this. It just seems like the older generations want to complain about the younger.

You would think it would be a good thing that younger people are more likely to go to tradesman to help with some things... After all it gives the tradesman jobs! I don't see that as a bad thing... Okay some of these things are just silly to not know how to do like sewing on a button. However other things like growing herbs/garden how many people actually have a place to grow such things? Especially with people at a young age most aren't likely living in a home where they have enough space or yard to grow a garden... :/

Yes I understand the article is sorta trying to help out with saving money. But who are they to judge people on what they want to spend money on. Also some people just aren't good at some of these things...

Wintry Dragon

Division of labor. Pay other people for the menial stuff while you use your time to make money or some other activity that are more pleasurable for you like working with computers and other pieces of technology not available for people way back when.

Feral Nymph

Honeyass
I am not a big fan of articles like this. It just seems like the older generations want to complain about the younger.

You would think it would be a good thing that younger people are more likely to go to tradesman to help with some things... After all it gives the tradesman jobs! I don't see that as a bad thing... Okay some of these things are just silly to not know how to do like sewing on a button. However other things like growing herbs/garden how many people actually have a place to grow such things? Especially with people at a young age most aren't likely living in a home where they have enough space or yard to grow a garden... :/

Yes I understand the article is sorta trying to help out with saving money. But who are they to judge people on what they want to spend money on. Also some people just aren't good at some of these things...


Yeah, reminds me of my attempts at growing herbs indoors. They never turn out so well. My other, less edible plants are fine, however.

Destructive Detective

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Quote:
•73 per cent spend £250 or less on maintaining their garden/outside space
This confuses me a bit. Does the figure refer to the amount spent in a single year? What size space are they talking about maintaining? Hand mower, or gas mower? Do they already own tools? Is there a perennial border? Compost or purchased fertilizer? Do they grow plants from seeds or buy them in pots? There are so many factors that play into gardening and yard care that the statement seems misleading, as £250 could be considered a great deal of money to spend or a very small amount depending on those factors and more.

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