A head-teachers’ union in the UK recently reported that youths have become so accustomed to using digital devices that they are having trouble correctly reading time on analogue clocks, forcing schools to replace them.
According to Malcolm Trobe, deputy general secretary at the Association of School and College Leaders, children and young teens aren’t as good at reading an old-fashioned clock as previous ones. Because phones, tablets and computers play such a huge role in their lives, they are constantly exposed to time in digital format, so seeing the time displayed in the analogue format in examination halls can be a cause of unnecessary stress for children. For this reason, some schools are removing analogue clocks and replacing them with digital ones.
“The current generation isn’t as good at reading the traditional clock face as older generations,” Mr Trobe, a former headmaster, told The Telegraph. “They are used to seeing a digital representation of time on their phone, on their computer. Nearly everything they’ve got is digital so youngsters are just exposed to time being given digitally everywhere.”
Until now, it was assumed that by the time students reach secondary school, they are able to read analogue clocks, but Mr Trobe claims that this is often not the case anymore. His experience is shared by other teachers, who recently took to social media to complain about this issue.
Cheryl Quine, ahead of the department at Cockermouth School and chair of the West Cumbria Network, said that some children at her school couldn’t read analogue clocks in exam rooms either.
“It may be a little sad if youngsters coming through aren’t able to tell the time on clock faces,” Malcolm Trobe said. One hopes that we will be teaching youngsters to read clocks, however, we can see the benefit of digital clocks in exam rooms.”
To make matters worse, earlier this year, a senior pediatric doctor warned that young children are finding it increasingly difficult to use analogue writing tools like pencils and pens, due to being exposed to phones and tablets all the time.
All we can do is hope that modern technology never fails, otherwise, we’re in big trouble.