Although I’m not yet 40, I can’t help but feel that there were a ton of things I was forced to learn as a kid that I have never once used as an adult. Remember learning to program a VCR or balance a checkbook? At one time, people wore these skills like badges of honor. However, as the world has become more digitized, many of these skills have slipped into irrelevance. Technology has changed the world in many ways. As a result, these 12 skills have become basically useless. How many of them did you master?
1. Remembering Phone Numbers by Heart
Once upon a time, memorizing phone numbers was a badge of honor. You knew your best friends, your parents, your office line, maybe even your crush’s phone number. But now, smartphones have made this skill nearly obsolete. Most people can barely recall their own number, let alone anyone else’s.
2. Writing in Cursive
Cursive writing was once a rite of passage in school. You practiced loops and slants until your hand cramped. But today, cursive is barely taught and rarely needed. Digital communication has replaced handwritten notes with texts and emails. Unless you’re signing a check or writing a birthday card, cursive is collecting dust.
3. Balancing a Checkbook
There was a time when balancing a checkbook was a monthly ritual. You’d sit down with your ledger and receipts, making sure every penny was accounted for. Now, banking apps do all the math for you in real time. Most people over 40 still remember how to do it, but they haven’t touched a checkbook in years. It’s a skill that’s been replaced by swipes and taps.
4. Using a Paper Map
Before GPS, navigating meant unfolding a giant paper map and hoping it didn’t rip. You had to plan your route, memorize exits, and pray you didn’t miss a turn. Today, apps like Google Maps and Waze have made paper maps nearly extinct. Even road trips feel effortless with turn-by-turn directions. That once-crucial skill now lives in your glove compartment, untouched.
5. Programming a VCR
If you ever had to record your favorite show on a VCR, you know the struggle. Setting the timer felt like solving a puzzle with a remote control. But with streaming services and DVRs, that knowledge is now irrelevant. VCRs are relics, and so is the skill of programming them.
6. Memorizing TV Schedules
Remember when you had to know exactly when your favorite show aired? Missing it meant waiting for a rerun… if you were lucky. Now, everything is on demand, and schedules are a thing of the past. Binge-watching has replaced appointment viewing. That mental calendar you once kept is now completely unnecessary.
7. Using a Fax Machine
Faxing was once the gold standard for sending documents quickly. Offices had entire protocols for sending and receiving faxes. But email and cloud storage have made fax machines nearly obsolete. Most people under 30 have never even used one. Yet many over 40 still remember how to load paper, dial numbers, and wait for that satisfying beep.
8. Typing with Two Fingers
Before formal typing classes or ergonomic keyboards, many people learned to type with just two fingers. It was slow, clunky, and full of typos, but it got the job done. Now, touch typing is the norm, and voice-to-text is gaining ground. The two-finger method is a nostalgic throwback, not a practical tool.
9. Making Mix Tapes
Creating the perfect mix tape was an art form. You’d sit by the radio, finger on the record button, waiting for the right song. Today, playlists are made in seconds with a few taps. The emotional investment of a mixtape has been replaced by algorithms. That analog romance is now a digital memory.
10. Folding a Road Map
Folding a road map back to its original form was a skill in itself. It required patience, precision, and a bit of origami talent. Now, no one even bothers to unfold one in the first place. GPS has made physical maps nearly irrelevant. That folding finesse is a party trick at best.
11. Memorizing Directions
Before smartphones, you had to actually remember how to get places. You’d write down directions or rely on landmarks. Now, we blindly follow GPS without a second thought. The mental map in your head has been outsourced to your phone. It’s a skill that’s quietly faded into the background.
12. Using a Phone Book
The Yellow Pages were once the go-to for finding businesses and services. You’d flip through hundreds of pages to find a plumber or pizza place. Today, a quick Google search does the trick. Phone books are now more useful as doorstops than directories. In fact, phone book deliveries started being phased out in the 2010s, with the very last phone books in the world being delivered in 2024.
These Skills Were Useful… Until They Weren’t
Many of these skills were once essential, even impressive. But technology has a way of making yesterday’s necessities today’s novelties. While they may no longer serve a practical purpose, they’re part of a shared generational experience. They remind us how far we’ve come, and how quickly things change. So maybe they’re not useless after all, just retired.
Which of these skills do you still secretly use or miss? Share your nostalgic favorites in the comments!
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The post 12 Useless Skills Everyone Over 40 Has But Never Uses appeared first on Clever Dude Personal Finance & Money.
