musicMagpie Blog

It's no secret that technology is advancing at an incredible rate. Some of the biggest companies in the world are only a few years old, there's an app for just about everything and we're rarely without a device in our hands.

With our lives becoming undeniably easier, what do we have to sacrifice for it? We look at the skills that are dying out as technology continues to move forward.

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1. Spelling and punctuation

We've come a long way since the days of T9 predictive text. Autocorrect is now a key feature on just about every kind of device we would need "" and as a result, our spelling and grammar skills are taking a hit. Not only that, with the likes of Grammarly helping us out, we don't have to think for ourselves when it comes to the written word because a device will do it for us.

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2. Reading a map

The upside of this is it's a bit harder to get lost and there are fewer arguments on long trips. But if your phone dies in the middle of a long trip and you're using Maps, what are you meant to do? Reading a map could be vital "" so sit down and learn what it all means!

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3. Handwriting

Tablets have become common place in schools and the service industry. Without the ability to work on your handwriting at a young age, or maintain it into adulthood, it's only a matter of time before our handwriting falls to the wayside. Considering that doctors and their sloppy handwriting kill a number of patients every year, it's pretty important!

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4. Learning languages

Picking up the basics of just about every modern language is possible through a whole heap of apps at your fingertips. Not only that, the likes of Google Translate helps us to get a quick answer to something we want to ask or say in another language. Beware the perils of literal translation "" it won't always make sense!

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5. Using books for references

Writing an academic essay, for example, requires sources and quotations to back up what you're saying. Back in the good old days, you would need to get your hands on reference books "" probably from your library "" and cite what you've used. Now, we've got websites that will tell you how to cite a book you will have already read online.

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6. Arts and crafts

Craftsmen and women were important to society but as technology gets smarter, their skills haven't been as much of a necessity. According to the Heritage Crafts Association, crafts like cricket ball making and gold beating are already extinct, whereas hat block making, piano making and tanning are critically endangered. Skills that have been in families for generations are at risk of disappearing altogether.

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7. Knowing personal information off by heart

Can you remember your phone number, straight from memory, without having to double check? Most of us haven't even attempted to learn it because it's easily accessible in our phones. The skill of being able to recall personal information like phone numbers, addresses or birthdays (you can thank Mark Zuckerberg for that one) is dying out, because we so rarely need it.

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8. Dating

Online dating isn't necessarily a new invention but it has grown incredibly in the last few years. Apps like Tinder and Bumble allows you to make a choice of a mate solely based on looks. You can come into contact with hundreds of people and create your own screening process as to who you want to meet. Of course, there is the additional concern of "˜catfishing' "" where people use someone else's photos to set up accounts for dating.

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9. Communication

Long gone are the days of knocking on doors. Now, a simple text to say you're outside does the job! Technological advancement has been incredible for communication in terms of connecting loved ones across the globe thanks to Skype, FaceTime and social media networks. But it's also made us lazy communicators; giving us an abundance of easier options of getting in touch. How often do you sit and scroll through your phone instead of talking to your family or other half?

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10. Telling the time

Reading a clock face might not be a priority anymore. With smartwatches and smartphones, the time is given to us in an easy to understand, digestible way. So, looking at an antiquated watch just doesn't compute. Analog is out and digital is in!

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11. Mental maths

Splitting a bill, working out a discount or any kind of quick sum doesn't have to be done inside your head anymore. With a calculator built into your phone or tablet, you don't need to think about carrying over any kinds of numbers "" it'll do it all for you in a second. It's all too easy to get a device to do the thinking for you!

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