Do you remember the good advice your parents gave you when you were young? Back then, that might have made sense, but today the world has changed: cars drive themselves, books are digital, and the Spice Girls are separated. These big changes have turned some good advice into shitty advice, and it’s good to talk about it with seriousness, parsimony and enthusiasm.
1. “You have to wait until your phone is at 0% to recharge it, it’s better for the battery”
It was true for the old rotten batteries, but for several years the batteries have changed. No need to empty them entirely or charge them to 100% to get them in top shape. On the contrary, it risks damaging them and making them lose their stamina. And as my ex used to say: endurance is the key.
2. “To apply, it’s better to give your CV in person, no one looks at the CVs sent online”
Gone are the days when hand-delivered paper resumes were the best way to land a job. Today, there are just as many chances of getting hired by applying online. The important thing is to have a good CV (or a good piston; that does not change).
3. “Don’t talk to strangers online”
In the early days of the internet, the “strangers” on the other side of the screen were freaking out, and the people offering you to chat online could sometimes be malicious, hence this injunction to be careful. Today absolutely everyone is chatting online, so the likelihood of running into a criminal is more or less the same as on the street. We will no longer prevent ourselves from making friends online who, in addition, often end up becoming friends in real life.
4. “Don’t get in a stranger’s car”
Since the appearance of Uber and his friends, getting into the car of a stranger can just save our lives in return for the evening. Well, after that, there are still drivers / stalkers who deserve to end up in front of a judge and whom we must be wary of, but the situation has still changed quite a bit.
5. “Looking for love on the internet? But that’s for weird people”
Online dating was a little creepy 20 years ago, and above all very frowned upon. The stuff has become completely normal now, and IRL encounters are borderline as rare as sober hunters or thirtysomething friends without kids. Thank you Tinder for bringing us love on a set.
6. “Don’t forget to print the Mappy itinerary before leaving”
Do you remember when we walked around with an itinerary printed on 3 A4 sheets to avoid getting lost in the open countryside? Everything changed with the appearance of on-board GPS, and today you would have to be a hell of a weirdo to continue printing your routes on paper.
7. “If you want a raise, you have to stay in a company for a long time”
Our parents liked to stay 30 years in the same box, and according to them it was this loyalty that allowed them to accumulate increases and promotions. In our time, it would be the best way to stagnate and be exploited by your boss. What is needed to increase your salary today is to change companies every 2-3 years in order to multiply experiences and advance in rank. It sucks, but that’s the way it is.
8. “You won’t always have a calculator in your pocket to help you out”
Well yes, we have one almost 24 hours a day in our phone. So, we’re less smart, huh Mr. Plantier, math teacher that I just invented in order to create a figure that would crystallize all my past anger?
9. “You need a degree to get a good job”
This remains true for a lot of jobs, but with the Internet, it has become much easier to have a profitable job without even having obtained your baccalaureate. If you know how to code like a brute, for example, you will be hired whether you have a degree or not. And, conversely, your Master’s degree obtained with honors will not protect you at all from unemployment. That’s a shame.
10. “You will rest when you retire”
The advice was already borderline 20 years ago, but it still made a bit of sense since you could still retire at a decent age. On the other hand, for those entering the world of work today, retirement only looks like a very distant horizon that keeps receding. You might as well start enjoying life now and not kill yourself with the task.
11. “Buy Yahoo stock!”
It must be said that Yahoo! was in great shape 20 years ago. It was one of the biggest Internet heavyweights. Today, no one under 25 knows what it is. It’s still a bit sad. Especially for the guy who invested his savings too late.