I think it’s unfair (and probably incorrect) to say that, generally, young people today are “stupid” or “thick”. I think the problem they have stems from the way they were taught (both at school and by their parents). Older people were taught to think for themselves, overcome problems by using their loaf. Today’s youngsters rely mainly on technology to “tell them what to do” and when it either doesn’t of behaves inappropriately they are stumped.
A very simple but daft example occurred to me a few weeks back. I went to a pub on a Sunday evening. They do selected wines for a tenner on Sundays but as well as this I had a voucher for a 25% discount of food - NJ has to be careful with the pennies :- ). The voucher had the usual conditions “cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer…etc). I duly went to the bar, ordered two meals and a bottle of £10 wine, handing over my discount voucher. This then followed:
Bargirl: “Oh I can’t accept the voucher”
NJ: “Why not?”
Bargirl: “Because you’ve already had one offer with your wine. The till won’t let me do it”.
NJ: “Fine. Just cancel the whole order”.
She did so and prepared to walk away.
NJ: “Hang on, I haven’t finished!”
Bargirl: “Oh sorry, I thought you were going”
NJ: “Why on Earth would I be going?”
I re-ordered the meals, successfully proffered my voucher and paid the reduced balance.
NJ: “Thanks. Now I’ll have a bottle of Chateau Bilgewater and two glasses, please”
Bargirl: “That’ll be £10 please”
NJ: “You see, it can be done. You don’t always have to do what the till tells you to do!”
Bargirl: “Yeh thanks. I’d never've thought of doing that”
A silly example I know. But at her age of around eighteen or nineteen (and a lot earlier than that) my “till busting” strategy would have been the first notion to cross my mind because I was taught to overcome problems, not to suffer from them. And I think that (among many other areas) is where a lot of young people have been badly let down by this country’s education system.