Serious question, when did we all stop reading instruction manuals?

I used to open every new thing, like my coffee grinder last year, and read the whole booklet first. Now I just plug it in and press buttons until it works. The change happened for me about two years ago when I got a new phone and the 'guide' was just a QR code. I guess I got used to figuring stuff out as I go, or maybe the manuals got worse. Anyone else just wing it with new stuff now?

3 comments

3 Comments

elliot_johnson3114d ago

Man, you hit the nail on the head. My new smart thermostat came with a tiny slip of paper that just said "scan to set up." It's like they don't even try anymore. I spent twenty minutes trying to connect it to my wifi before I found the hidden manual button on the side. It makes you miss those little booklets with the bad translations. Now we all just have to become button-mashing detectives.

charles44214d ago

Totally get that. My last printer came with a single sheet telling me to download an app. The app wanted me to create an account just to print a test page. Ended up just mashing the buttons on the actual printer until something happened. It feels like they make the official instructions useless on purpose now.

mia_hart9014d ago

Button mashing detectives" is the perfect way to put it lol. I swear they're just hoping you'll give up and accept all the data tracking in their app instead.