Some People Can't Tell Time?

[PricklyPoo]

Ok, earlier today I was at a restaurant and some kids (maybe highschool) asked what time it was so I pointed to a clock on the wall and they stood there sort of silent. Then I heard one say to their friends, "I'm really bad at telling time can you guys read it?"

Long story short none of them could read it but after a few minutes they figured it out. Also now that I think about it, I have overheard some teenagers talking about how they can't read a clock.

The main thing is, I thought every five year old could read a clock. Is America really this stupid?

Has anyone else come across this?

[Napalm Frog]

I haven't come across this phenomenon yet, but I don't doubt that it could happen. The number of digital clocks is rising, as for some people it is a faster way to tell time.

However, I'm pretty sure it's something taught in grade 1, if not earlier, so there really should be no excuse.

[metallithrax]

Not just America. People use digital now (VCR - digital, PC - digital etc), and some don't learn how to read real clocks. My brother was like this until he was about 13.

[User6060]

I wear a watch so I don't generally have to ask for the time but when I do I get it right away. Its sad that those kids couldn't read the hands of an analogue clock

[Angelic Marge]

Sometimes I read clocks backwards, the other day I thought my watch had stopped at 10.10am but it was actually 1.50pm :blink: :laugh: Takes me a while to read clocks or watches without numbers though, hubby was going to buy me a new watch and all the ones I like didn't have numbers. :rolleyes:

[zeta_immersion]

actually the time reading thing happens to me when someone asks me the time ... usually i am deep in my thought and they ask me 2 times for the time and i snap out of it and i am so messed up i stumble for a few seconds ... and i hate it simply because i am unable to gather my thoughts to read the time (it is analog) ... but yeah ... as to those kids, it is just sad :D and funny ... you should have made up the "time" and tell them something really stupid :D ... hilarious

[metallithrax]

So, who has looked at their watch to see the time, and within seconds someone asks you the time, but you still look at your watch again before telling them the time?

[aussiefloyd_fan]

So, who has looked at their watch to see the time, and within seconds someone asks you the time, but you still look at your watch again before telling them the time?

me..... i have a habbit of doing that all the darn tim e

[qdave]

Sometimes I read clocks backwards, the other day I thought my watch had stopped at 10.10am but it was actually 1.50pm :blink: :laugh: Takes me a while to read clocks or watches without numbers though, hubby was going to buy me a new watch and all the ones I like didn't have numbers. :rolleyes:

maybe hour and minute arms are of similar length? might be confusing :p

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

Is it really that hard? I can glance at my watch and know what time it is within a fraction of a second. I'm a tiny bit slower with the really simple yet fancy looking clocks but that's understandable.

[PL_ Veteran]

Heh, reminds me of that thing from Friends...

"Phoebe couldn't tell the time until she was 13!"

"For some people it's hard!"

[what]

So, who has looked at their watch to see the time, and within seconds someone asks you the time, but you still look at your watch again before telling them the time?

Yeah I'm like that. I look at the time so I know what it is, but I don't think about it enough to be able to tell other people 'just in case' they want to know as well :p

[WooSH]

wow. someone asked me for the time the other day, and i just stood there looking at my (analog) watch going....uhhh...it took me about 15 seconds to register what really was going on. it happens a lot.

i look at a clock as a map, and a "percentage" of how much the day, or night is done. Same thing when i look at a digital clock some times, i have to peek outside the window to fully register the time. i hate reading times off of digital clocks.

weird.

[Rob2687]

I'm bad at reading analog clocks even though my watch is analog. If someone asks me for the time I always feel like a an idiot cause it takes me a second to register the time then double check cause I know I'll probably get it wrong then it takes even longer.

Damn you digital age. :p

[BGM]

hmm interesting thread, im the same with 24hr digital clocks

takes a couple of seconds... much prefer analogue :)

[b@nned]

what about the people who just look at you funny when you tell them is "10 of 4" or "quarter past 3"

[+StevoFC MVC]

the movie Idiocracy comes to mind when i read topics like this.

[PermaSt0ne]

The main thing is, I thought every five year old could read a clock. Is America really this stupid?

no need to limit it to the US. there's plenty of stupid people to go around for all countries :p

when i entered high school i had a fear of not being able to tell time like that one day, so i went out and bought a really expensive (so i wouldn't be tempted to replace it) analog watch for me to wear. i also have all my digital clocks (computer, alarm clock, cellphone) set to 24 hour military time

now it's easy for me to tell time no matter which clock i look at :)

[gigapixels Veteran]

And that's why I wear analog watches. I'm as quick as I should be reading time from them... It amazes me that people do have difficulties though.

[acnpt]

As ive been using my phone as a watch, and other digital clocks around, it can take me a couple seconds longer to tell the time with an analogue clock. Although that's if i havn't seen an analogue clock for weeks.

[Sikh]

I am a teenager and I can say, that I can read clocks perfectly fine. Im just used to Digital now.

I have friends that say that. Its not because they are dumb, or havent learned the skill. Its because they are so acustom'd to reading digital, there brain just looks at the handles and goes "wtf".

I usually find myself asking my parents sometimes what time it is, this is becuase in my living room, we have a old wood frame "analog" clock that my parents kept around to teach us and because they are used to it.

Till this day, we(me my brotehr and sister) use the VCR, Satelite, PC to tell time, and my parents look up at the wall, instead of reading the numbers infront of them.

Its just what you are used to.

So, its not ALL teenagers are dumb, maybe some of them didnt learn it, or dont bother.

Cheers,

-Sikh.

[Mike Frett]

Yes, I know tons of people who can't tell time on an Analog clock. I actually have a theory. Since Digital clocks were introduced, that's all people have been flocking to. So there has been no need to learn the old ways of reading the hands on the clock.

In about 50 to 100 years, your going to start seeing huge drops in the number of people who know math. Why? Well, who needs to learn when you have a Personal Computer and a Calculator?.

It's all about the old ways, going away. Like, how many of you know what Mercurochrome is? Or, how many know that America had Presidents before Washington?. I think you get the point.

Feel free to disagree, but you have to prove me wrong. I just have to sit back and enjoy the ride.

[kaffra]

i have a little trouble telling time in german.

unlike normally if its 8.30 we just say eight thirty or half past eight, they say half (to) nine

[TGT]

I think I'm an odd-ball. If I look at my analogue watch, I'll know exactly what time it is subconsiously, however, if someone asked me to recite the time to them, it would take me a second or two before I could give them an answer.

But truth be told, I still have my grade 1 workbook and I know for a fact that we spent a unit working on clock faces :p

[+Matthew S. Subscriber²]

I can barely read analog clocks even though I learned back in SK... sad I know... Thats why I only use digital clocks (phone, pc, watch, etc). and usually avoid getting asked the time...