# Have you noticed that younger people seem slower to tell time from "traditional" clock faces? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 29, 2025, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391 "2025-10-29T15:25:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/141 "2025-12-16T19:15:24Z")
As a little kid in the early 1960s one of our neighbors had a digital clock. Really. It was a mechanism like an mechanical odometer, with one drum for the hours, one for the 10s of minutes, one for the minutes, and one last one for the seconds. The seconds drum had 00, 10, 20, …, 50 printed on it and rotated smoothly and continuously. Much like a mechanical odometer, when the seconds hit 50, that engaged something like a pawl to rotate the minute drum ahead by 1 as the seconds moved from 50 to 00. Same for the 10s of minutes drum and the hour drum when it was their turn to move. That thing fascinated 5yo me. Waiting to watch the drums turn was just great. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/142 "2025-12-16T20:57:16Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I’m in my sixties, and grew up with telling time that way. I’m surprised you didn’t run into it. I ran an experiment today where I asked five people aged 25 to 56 to read clock faces I had drawn on a whiteboard. I asked them separately not in a group (I have one-on-ones with my team on Tuesday). None of them said “half past”, “twenty past” or “ten to”. The 56 year old said he remembered it from his childhood but now it seems old fashioned to him. The younger people said they only encountered it in fictional contexts. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/143 "2025-12-16T21:23:41Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Other than the “clocks” that come with appliances, like the microwave, I only have one digital clock in my house. All others are analog. And attractive. This made me realize, the only analog clocks in my home do not display the correct time, because I never bothered to replace the batteries in them. They are purely decorative. 100% of the clocks in my home that actually work are digital. And none of those are purely clocks, they all serve some other purpose – the ones on the microwave and stove, my alarm clock / radio, and cheap clock /radio / old style iPod dock I picked up at a thrift store mostly for the radio function. One of the non-functional analog clocks is a [Kit Cat Klock](https://kit-cat.com/products/classic-black-kit-cat-klock-15-5-high?variant=49916143829297&country=US¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23277250053&gclid=Cj0KCQiAo4TKBhDRARIsAGW29bcIuy-0qSNSojvX5tiwrRt6urrP37Z8JevsV3HvD9FEFjMtQoLBHZEaArlPEALw_wcB), which never really kept good time when it did work. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/144 "2025-12-16T21:29:10Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > I ran an experiment today That’s fascinating. I may try that experiment with my friends, too. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/145 "2025-12-16T21:31:02Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > None of them said “half past”, “twenty past” or “ten to”. I did for a while back when I wore an analog watch, because it does feel more natural to me to express it that way when using an analog timepiece, but I stopped because it just seemed to confuse most people. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > As a little kid in the early 1960s one of our neighbors had a digital clock. Really. It was a mechanism like an mechanical odometer, with one drum for the hours, one for the 10s of minutes, one for the minutes, and one last one for the seconds. That’s more or less how flip clocks work, too. Just with a mechanical mechanism that causes the numbers to flip when the drums reach a certain point rather then smoothly rotating numbers. So even though they display the time “digitally”, fundamentally flip clocks work like analog clocks. There’s a good video on the Technology Connections YouTube channel if anyone wants to see all the details of how they work. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/146 "2025-12-16T22:17:33Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > One of the non-functional analog clocks is a [Kit Cat Klock](https://kit-cat.com/products/classic-black-kit-cat-klock-15-5-high?variant=49916143829297&country=US¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23277250053&gclid=Cj0KCQiAo4TKBhDRARIsAGW29bcIuy-0qSNSojvX5tiwrRt6urrP37Z8JevsV3HvD9FEFjMtQoLBHZEaArlPEALw_wcB), which never really kept good time when it did work. Yeah, we bought one of those and it’s not reliable. Sometimes the eyes and tail stop, but the clock keeps working. I wonder if removing the batteries and hardwiring a power supply would work. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/147 "2025-12-16T22:58:42Z")
Yeah. Flip clocks were still 10 years in the future then. But you’re right the mechanism behind it is about the same. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/148 "2025-12-16T23:25:26Z")
My roommate in my freshman year of college had one of those blasted flip clocks. I’m a light sleeper, so every minute it seemed like the clicking would wake me up. Then at the top of the hour the cacophony of the flipping was like being at a railroad switching yard. I’m exaggerating a bit, I guess. And I love watching those old-timey flip boards in railroad stations in Europe. My second year in college, I bought a new-fangled red LED _quiet_ digital alarm clock from Radio Shack. That sucker has run continuously since 1978. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/149 "2025-12-16T23:56:29Z")
I can’t put up with an inaccurate clock in my house. Even the microwave and fridge clocks are set correctly. I rarely look at them but it bugs me if they are flashing or showing --------. I had a dress watch that only used dots on the dial. That was tricky to read. Similar to this watch. [![](https://www.fraserhart.co.uk/dw/image/v2/BFNQ_PRD/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-ang_master-catalog/default/dw716884ec/hi-res/l45121087-longines-la-grande-classique-29mm-green-dial-diamond-dots-two-tone-steel-bracelet-watch-08-02-1-0365-img2.jpg?sw=1000&sh=1000&sm=fit) ](https://www.fraserhart.co.uk/dw/image/v2/BFNQ_PRD/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-ang_master-catalog/default/dw716884ec/hi-res/l45121087-longines-la-grande-classique-29mm-green-dial-diamond-dots-two-tone-steel-bracelet-watch-08-02-1-0365-img2.jpg?sw=1000&sh=1000&sm=fit) ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/150 "2025-12-17T00:03:13Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I can’t put up with an inaccurate clock in my house. I can’t stand an inaccurate _digital_ clock in my house, or elsewhere for that matter – I’m the guy who always sets the clocks on the office microwaves. But for whatever reason the two inaccurate analog clocks don’t bother me. As I said earlier I pretty much just consider them decorations at this point. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/151 "2025-12-17T00:35:26Z")
There isn’t a natural way of 10 after 9 in Japanese. We do say “nine half” 9時半 for 9:30 but there isn’t an expression for “nine quarter”. More people used to say 10 to 9 ( 9時10分前) but in business then giving the straight time 8:50 is more common. ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/152 "2026-11-04T22:55:02Z")
[Jimmy Kimmel asks people on Hollywood Blvd to set/read an analog clock. (3 min)](https://youtu.be/AKVUa3rRxzo?t=840) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/153 "2026-11-04T23:13:51Z")
See, that’s another reason not to be a billionaire. You see all these really really rich guys, they’re all walking around with $500,000 watches, and none of those watches are digital. I hate analogue watches. It stresses me out not to know exactly what time it is. So I’ll wear a cheap Casio, and they won’t let me into their billionaire clubs. Better to just stay poor. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/154 "2026-11-04T23:30:41Z")
Heh. I had one of those clocks that dropped a marble every minute. Now that was noisy ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/156 "2026-11-04T23:33:03Z")
PS: At the remote site my company used to send me to for field tests, we had a **mirror image** analog clock; after a day or so I could read the ULUZ clock just as well as any other ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/157 "2026-11-04T23:59:27Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I hate analogue watches. It stresses me out not to know exactly what time it is. How exact are we talking here? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/158 "2026-11-05T00:01:43Z")
To the minute. I’m not _weird_. But yes, “around a quarter to five” isn’t good enough for me; I need to know whether it’s 16:47 or 16:48. There’s a difference. ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/159 "2026-11-05T00:14:13Z")
I’m not getting the hate for analog then. My analog does minutes AND seconds. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/160 "2026-11-05T00:31:43Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > The ones whose parents taught them had analog clocks in the home. One of my overachievers said that she can read a clock face even if it doesn’t have numbers. I knew what she was talking about, but the rest of the class didn’t. Show her this. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/BdDAZR8.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/BdDAZR8) ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2026, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391/161 "2026-11-05T00:34:19Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > I’m always amused when they get to twenty minutes past four and announce “It’s 4:20”. What’s funny about that? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-noticed-that-younger-people-seem-slower-to-tell-time-from-traditional-clock-faces/1024391.md?page=9)