LONDON — Are you handy enough that if a lightbulb went out in your home you’d be able to change it? Believe it or not, one in five people aren’t so skilled. In fact, a new survey of people in the United Kingdom finds not only do about 20 percent of people not know how to change a bulb — the same number aren’t sure how to boil an egg, either.
The British insurance company Aviva recently released their annual Home Report which detailed, among numerous findings about how people do work around the house, relatively common tasks that people encounter. The company surveyed 2004 people across the UK in February and March about their habits and roles at home.
In addition to just one in five not being able to change a lightbulb or boil an egg, the survey found that nearly a third of the participants couldn’t cook any meal on the fly. And if someone were to spill a portion of their meal on their clothes or on the floor, only 59 percent would know how to get rid of the resulting stain.
Only 37 percent could change a flat tire.
The findings were even surprising to the folks behind the study.
“As a nation we tend to take pride in our ability to do things ourselves in and around the home, so it’s a surprise to see there could be a skills gap in places,” says Aviva Propositions Director Adam Beckett in a press release. “That said, we also know that people lead busy lives, so while we enjoy doing things ourselves, we also appreciate the opportunity to leave things to a professional from time to time, particularly with some of the more challenging jobs.”
Interestingly, while 50 percent of those surveyed said they learned how to do a home task on their by trial and error, plenty of people are turning to the internet for help, especially millennials. The study found four in 10 people aged 25 and under prefer learning do-it-yourself chores online. That’s more than twice the number in the age group who turn to an actual book for help.
Here’s a look at the polled tasks and the number of people who indicated they could successfully complete them:
| Â Task | Percentage who feel confident doing this task |
| Boil an egg | 81% |
| Change a light bulb | 79% |
| Cook a complete meal without using a recipe | 69% |
| Read a map | 66% |
| Sew on a button | 65% |
| Unblock a sink | 62% |
| Remove a stain from a carpet or clothing | 59% |
| Change a baby’s nappy | 57% |
| Wire a plug | 57% |
| ‘Bleed’ a radiator | 53% |
| Check oil levels in a car | 53% |
| Put up a shelf | 47% |
| Put up wallpaper | 39% |
| Change a flat tire | 37% |
| Change a washer on a tap | 30% |
| Fit tiles | 22% |
Click here to read the entire report, which broke down the findings by age groups and revealed many other interesting results.
I suspect that 40 of the 57 percent think “wire a plug” means to “plug something in.”
If you told him the black gets the gold he’d call you a racist!
Your empire is gone. Sad.
Allahu Akbar, or something…
How many women does it take to change a light bulb? None. Just let the b*tch cook in the dark.
Imbeciles 2nd, democrats first.
English method of boiling an egg: put it in the oven for twenty minutes at 212F.
It is time for a new mandatory class in high school called Life Skills.
Liberalism, making the dumb dumber.
MOST people don’t know how to boil an egg. There’s a certain way it has to be done to get perfectly done yellow yokes with no green.
And most of these are College Graduates I am Sure ! We teach nothing Useful to existence now it is a SHAME .
Parents who do not know these things can’t teach children to do it. And teachers who can not do them can’t teach students
either. We need Competency in LIFE SKILLS !
It should have included “fry an egg”. ????
The study was for the youth of the United Kingdom. It’s probably worse in the USA. But they do know how to whine, march, throw rocks, and whine some more.
Why would anyone want to cook a meal on a fly? Weird.
I have more confidence with a Generation X woman accomplishing any and all that list than a single Millenial skinny jean manbunner.
IF…that were true…then they are NOT adults….maybe just old children.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Liberalism is a mental disorder.
they all know that with a call a government person will boil their egg. Socialism at it’s height.
All these jolly jokers talking about “9 to turn the ladder.” Don’t you know that Millennials have to be taught how to first open a ladder?
Then they have to be motivated to the point where they care enough to do it.
Good luck getting them to actually lift the ladder, with hand and arm strength barely sufficient to crack a raw egg.
If they can get the ladder off the ground, you’re about to die laughing when you see their reaction to “OK, everybody go counterclockwise.” After all, digital clocks have no…well, you’re not a Millennial, so I don’t need to explain it to you.
Watch how your volunteer light-bulb holder tries to back his/her/ter/xer whatev way up the ladder. And as they slowly master that, watch how many need the ceiling to brusquely signal “STOP CLIMBING!” to the tops of their heads.
Keep count of falls and injuries caused by trying to walk forward down the ladder. (In particularly cohesive experimental groups, this count will go down as they learn to gather beneath the ladder-walker to catch him or her, although this adaptation will in turn cause injuries and mishaps, as well as great uncertainty and dissatisfaction,)
Watch how many knit their brows with concentration as you explain that you have to go counterclockwise first, then clockwise second.
Note the astonishment and outrage when you inform them that, “Yes. Counterclockwise goes first every single time.” (“Ooohhhh!!! Poor clockwise!!!”)
Count the number of groups that joyfully conclude to solve the problem by texting for a maintenance worker.
WARNING: DANGER OF DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY! If they ever figure out how to get the bulb unscrewed, remember to warn your trapeze artiste NOT to ask, “In here?” At least while sticking his or her forefinger up into the socket. What are the odds that one has thought to turn off the light switch?
We are all born stupid it’s up to you whether you stay there!!!