Just as the title asks I’ve noticed a very sharp increase in people just straight up not comprehending what they’re reading.
They’ll read it and despite all the information being there, if it’s even slightly out of line from the most straightforward sentence structure, they act like it’s complete gibberish or indecipherable.
Has anyone else noticed this? Because honestly it’s making me lose my fucking mind.
I help companies sell products on Amazon.
One sold protein powder. Product title says “25g of protein”. First bullet point says “25g of protein per serving”. Main image of the product clearly shows “25g protein” on the label. Second image makes it more clear with “25 Grams of Protein Per Serving” in big bold letters. The A+ content (images in product description) repeat this information in big bold letters as well. Both the image gallery and the A+ content showed a picture of the supplement facts panel. The top rated review for the product called out that they liked the 25g of protein per serving.
Customer messages me, “How much protein per serving? Doesn’t say anywhere on the listing.”
Rage. Instant, immediate, and intense rage.
My time in retail and working at a liquor store have shown me that a significant portion of the general population are just straight up illiterate, mostly illiterate, or functionally illiterate. I had to stop allowing myself to get upset when customers would ask dumb questions for the sake of my own sanity.
I used to work in a store selling electronics - like Best Buy (but a foreign distant cousin). It amazed me that so many people were technically challenged.
I always had to assume that the individual I was helping was an idiot, because I had been dumbfounded way to many times.
I’m pretty decent with tech. I definitely know to turn things off and on again, check wifi connection, etc. I’m good with troubleshooting and such, but the IT person at my work who I interact with most treats me like I’m SO DUMB. But I try to remind myself that there are probably so many people who don’t know where the power button is on any of their devices lol.
An example: I get logged out of an account on my computer, so I go to reset my password. The password reset requires an account number that I don’t have
Message to IT: hey, I need to reset my password for this program, can you send me the account number for it?
IT: on the main login page, beneath the password bar, there should be a link that says “forgot password?” Click that and you should be able to reset it
Me: 😑 explains that if you click on that link it requires you to enter account number to reset it
IT: oh
I can relate to that for sure. I’ve found that often it helps writing out all the obvious steps I’ve already tried for them so they don’t waste too much of their time.
Then again, they might have a script they’re forced to follow…