Older generations of Reddit, what is a ‘dying skill’ or habit that you think Gen Z should desperately try to keep alive?
December 21, 2025
Same as title
27 comments
Conversational skills. Especially active listening and asking questions.
The ability to be bored.
The ability to find information off the Internet.
Ironing when it’s needed. Birthday Cards for family members, Christmas cards too.
Writing letters to friends. Decorating the envelopes. Collecting cute stationary. That exciting feeling you get when you grab the mail and there’s a letter in there for you and it’s not an ad or a bill.
Being able to do simple calculations in your head. Like figuring out cost of it is 25% off. Or adding multiple items together. Dividing bill between 4 people. Etc.
Handwriting and penmanship. Put pen to paper sometimes, don’t rely on keyboards for everything.
Being able to change your own flat tire
Being social without having panic and anxiety attacks
Writing in script, recently I learned they stopped doing it since like when I graduated highschool (2016)
Reading a book
Curiosity
The ability to sew enough to make basic repairs and minor alterations. Quality clothing in classic styles that fits you well can last years.
Sewing. Like I have no idea why we’re outsourcing this skill when it’s insanely valuable.
Thinking. They all seem to be outsourcing all their cognitive functions to AI.
Writing. No one writes things anymore and it’s scary. I used to love seeing my classmates or friends or lovers handwriting. Discovering it for the first time was so fun and unique to that person. I still remember my oldest friend’s handwriting and I don’t see her too often but I know what her handwriting looks like to this day
Comfort in being alone.
Socializing.
Apparently, it’s considered weird or creepy now to approach or be approached by a stranger in a bar or nightclub.
In my dating years, there were no dating apps or sites. We met people at work, school, parties, through friends or family members, or whenever we were out and about. There were the personal ads, but meeting strangers that way was risky.
My generation was accustomed to making friends and acquaintances organically. We were sent outside by our parents as small children and told to “Go out and play.” Many, if not most of us, were allowed to roam our neighborhoods and were sometimes sent on errands. We freely roller skated or bicycled outdoors and introduced ourselves to the neighborhood kids we came across.
We didn’t have video games or 24-hour television, let alone movie streaming. Usually, especially during the day, there was nothing interesting on the few TV channels that existed.
There was a culture of trust in those days. Parents took it for granted that when their children were set free, they’d be home in time for dinner smiling and in one piece. If anything went wrong, we could go to a neighbor’s house and ask to use the phone. I remember having to let the plumber or the man from the gas company into the house when I was ten or eleven years old and my mom was at work. That was normal. Now, it’s illegal.
As a child, I knew pretty much every other kid within in a 1.5 mile radius. We would get together and hang out every day in the summertime. Younger kids of four to maybe seven years old were usually accompanied by older siblings. Everyone else was on their own.
We would collect and memorize one another’s phone numbers and call each other at home. We learned how to talk to other kids’ parents because that’s who usually fielded the calls. Freedoms and privileges varied from family to family. In most households, the parents answered the phone because obscene phone callers were a common issue. There was no caller ID or call return so you had no clue who was on the other line.
We had way less social anxiety because young children had personal lives outside of the home involving kids their own age. Watch any show about kids from the 50s, 60s, 70s, or earlier; kids’ lives are depicted somewhat realistically. Leave It to Beaver, Dennis the Menace, the Our Gang shorts . . . kids wandering around and going places unchaperoned was how I grew up.
That, to me, was a real childhood. I learned how to speak up, read people and their intentions, and look out for myself. Childhood in my day meant freedom. Kids nowadays don’t have that.
I remember going to the beach with my family when I was nine, maybe ten. A bunch of kids around my age that didn’t know each other wound up congregating in one spot and frolicking in the waves together. There were maybe a dozen of us. I cannot begin to describe how much fun that was.
Alterations! When I got married, a lot of people in the wedding industry mentioned it’s a disappearing skill. I guess so many of those doing it at nearing retirement, and there’s not enough people doing or learning it to keep up with the demand already!
Just go outside. Set up some lawn chairs, have some friends over. Shoot the shit.
Masturbating without porn
Hosting.
There’s a real skill that goes into throwing a party where there’s a planned meal for everybody, it’s all prepared at the right time, there are activities, decorations, a guest list that will get along with each other.
When most of how you hang out with each other is the low key “wanna hang out” type of stuff, people will just cancel on you when they feel like it, you can’t rely on each other, you can’t have those situations where you get your friends and your friends of friends into a room interacting, and build that broad community of people who show up for each other.
Parties are good for you. Learn to throw parties.
I’m gen z but cursive
Math. I’m a blackjack dealer and I had a group of 22 yr olds on my table and they couldn’t add up the cards. It was eye opening. I teased them about it and one of them said ‘would u believe we’re all college graduates?’ and I thought ‘oh my lord’ -_-
Using your own creativity or critical thinking skills. I’m a mid 30’s graphic designer married to a software engineer. There was a time when we both were thinking about (and worried about) the next generation and how good they would be at both of these skills because they would start younger and have better technology. Then ChatGPT happened. People are sacrificing their own skills and critical thinking for convenience. This will absolutely bite you in the ass. AI has a lot of benefits as a helpful tool but it is extremely obvious in both of our industries when someone is relying 100% on it and not their own talent. Creating things organically, whether that be art, code, writing etc feels like it’s becoming a lost art.
Writing thank you notes. Like actual cards.
Etiquette around gatherings. People think it’s okay to no show no call for something they rspvd for, they show up without a gift for the host, thank you notes are a thing of the past.
I just had a Christmas party and half my invites didn’t show up and those who didn’t bring the request white elephant gift ($25 and under). Make you not want to host anymore and then people will say community is dead, Christmas isn’t like it used to be but they don’t actually participate
27 comments
Conversational skills. Especially active listening and asking questions.
The ability to be bored.
The ability to find information off the Internet.
Ironing when it’s needed. Birthday Cards for family members, Christmas cards too.
Writing letters to friends. Decorating the envelopes. Collecting cute stationary. That exciting feeling you get when you grab the mail and there’s a letter in there for you and it’s not an ad or a bill.
Being able to do simple calculations in your head. Like figuring out cost of it is 25% off. Or adding multiple items together. Dividing bill between 4 people. Etc.
Handwriting and penmanship. Put pen to paper sometimes, don’t rely on keyboards for everything.
Being able to change your own flat tire
Being social without having panic and anxiety attacks
Writing in script, recently I learned they stopped doing it since like when I graduated highschool (2016)
Reading a book
Curiosity
The ability to sew enough to make basic repairs and minor alterations. Quality clothing in classic styles that fits you well can last years.
Sewing. Like I have no idea why we’re outsourcing this skill when it’s insanely valuable.
Thinking. They all seem to be outsourcing all their cognitive functions to AI.
Writing. No one writes things anymore and it’s scary. I used to love seeing my classmates or friends or lovers handwriting. Discovering it for the first time was so fun and unique to that person. I still remember my oldest friend’s handwriting and I don’t see her too often but I know what her handwriting looks like to this day
Comfort in being alone.
Socializing.
Apparently, it’s considered weird or creepy now to approach or be approached by a stranger in a bar or nightclub.
In my dating years, there were no dating apps or sites. We met people at work, school, parties, through friends or family members, or whenever we were out and about. There were the personal ads, but meeting strangers that way was risky.
My generation was accustomed to making friends and acquaintances organically. We were sent outside by our parents as small children and told to “Go out and play.” Many, if not most of us, were allowed to roam our neighborhoods and were sometimes sent on errands. We freely roller skated or bicycled outdoors and introduced ourselves to the neighborhood kids we came across.
We didn’t have video games or 24-hour television, let alone movie streaming. Usually, especially during the day, there was nothing interesting on the few TV channels that existed.
There was a culture of trust in those days. Parents took it for granted that when their children were set free, they’d be home in time for dinner smiling and in one piece. If anything went wrong, we could go to a neighbor’s house and ask to use the phone. I remember having to let the plumber or the man from the gas company into the house when I was ten or eleven years old and my mom was at work. That was normal. Now, it’s illegal.
As a child, I knew pretty much every other kid within in a 1.5 mile radius. We would get together and hang out every day in the summertime. Younger kids of four to maybe seven years old were usually accompanied by older siblings. Everyone else was on their own.
We would collect and memorize one another’s phone numbers and call each other at home. We learned how to talk to other kids’ parents because that’s who usually fielded the calls. Freedoms and privileges varied from family to family. In most households, the parents answered the phone because obscene phone callers were a common issue. There was no caller ID or call return so you had no clue who was on the other line.
We had way less social anxiety because young children had personal lives outside of the home involving kids their own age. Watch any show about kids from the 50s, 60s, 70s, or earlier; kids’ lives are depicted somewhat realistically. Leave It to Beaver, Dennis the Menace, the Our Gang shorts . . . kids wandering around and going places unchaperoned was how I grew up.
That, to me, was a real childhood. I learned how to speak up, read people and their intentions, and look out for myself. Childhood in my day meant freedom. Kids nowadays don’t have that.
I remember going to the beach with my family when I was nine, maybe ten. A bunch of kids around my age that didn’t know each other wound up congregating in one spot and frolicking in the waves together. There were maybe a dozen of us. I cannot begin to describe how much fun that was.
Alterations! When I got married, a lot of people in the wedding industry mentioned it’s a disappearing skill. I guess so many of those doing it at nearing retirement, and there’s not enough people doing or learning it to keep up with the demand already!
Just go outside. Set up some lawn chairs, have some friends over. Shoot the shit.
Masturbating without porn
Hosting.
There’s a real skill that goes into throwing a party where there’s a planned meal for everybody, it’s all prepared at the right time, there are activities, decorations, a guest list that will get along with each other.
When most of how you hang out with each other is the low key “wanna hang out” type of stuff, people will just cancel on you when they feel like it, you can’t rely on each other, you can’t have those situations where you get your friends and your friends of friends into a room interacting, and build that broad community of people who show up for each other.
Parties are good for you. Learn to throw parties.
I’m gen z but cursive
Math. I’m a blackjack dealer and I had a group of 22 yr olds on my table and they couldn’t add up the cards. It was eye opening. I teased them about it and one of them said ‘would u believe we’re all college graduates?’ and I thought ‘oh my lord’ -_-
Using your own creativity or critical thinking skills. I’m a mid 30’s graphic designer married to a software engineer. There was a time when we both were thinking about (and worried about) the next generation and how good they would be at both of these skills because they would start younger and have better technology. Then ChatGPT happened. People are sacrificing their own skills and critical thinking for convenience. This will absolutely bite you in the ass. AI has a lot of benefits as a helpful tool but it is extremely obvious in both of our industries when someone is relying 100% on it and not their own talent. Creating things organically, whether that be art, code, writing etc feels like it’s becoming a lost art.
Writing thank you notes. Like actual cards.
Etiquette around gatherings. People think it’s okay to no show no call for something they rspvd for, they show up without a gift for the host, thank you notes are a thing of the past.
I just had a Christmas party and half my invites didn’t show up and those who didn’t bring the request white elephant gift ($25 and under). Make you not want to host anymore and then people will say community is dead, Christmas isn’t like it used to be but they don’t actually participate