What the Hell is This Gizmo?

Don’t be a smartass, Bob...

• A Gen Z boy visiting his grandmother sees her fall into a well but can’t call the police because he’s never seen a rotary phone.

• Young car thieves can’t flee in a stolen vehicle because they don’t know how to drive a stick shift.

• A 16-year-old high school junior can’t order the chicken-fried steak at Mabel’s Diner because the menu is written in cursive.

It is a never-ending story, technical and cultural gaps between generations. A few years ago, I had a front row seat for this ongoing drama, routinely having to explain perplexing old-fashioned gadgets to young’uns.