While we were on camp during my youth service, we were handed over some materials to go through so we could read all about what NYSC was and how it was conducted. I don't think I ever opened any of those materials to see their content till I finished because I already thought of what use when we were already in camp and were made to go through the do's and don'ts of the camp. Actually, It's a waste of time for me.
Right from time, whatever it is with materials or manuals that contain guidelines on how to use something, I'd prefer to explore on my own or even go online to read a few details about them, and those materials feel buggy to me to go through. I don't even bother myself reading as they would just be kept for future purposes.
I have been using my Samsung for over three years now and it has never occurred to me to open the manual to see what is inside because I know how to operate an Android phone already and whatever I need help with, it's a quick one to search on YouTube, watch a few minutes videos of the steps and then I already got what it means. Google is at the tip of my fingers, and it never fails.
There are appliances I have used in the home that, just with someone touching and fixing them, I already understood something about them, and if ever I need help to fix something, I'd call on someone to help me with that.
Funny enough, the solar fan I bought, I felt it could have been something I'd installed by myself by just checking through the manual to guide me instead of paying someone to help me do the service but to me, it's always looked like a big task that feels unnecessary when I could just hop onto something else to save time.
Manuals are guides to help us fix things we bought and own, but when we don't know how to use them or didn't take the time to read manuals to DIY, we are taken advantage of, but that doesn't make me decide not to pay someone for their service for those little things next time.
Just recently, I found out about an app on my iPhone (my second phone) like a manual (tips), and I was just playing around with it, and things I didn't know were on the phone were guided me in a few minutes, and I was able to explore and had fun scrolling around learning stuff on it. Though this could have made me ask someone to teach me, which could put me in an ignorant state, or for some, they might be charged seeing how vulnerable they are, this was something I learnt on my own.
Even when I need to sign up for something online and see loads of rules and regulations to read, it bothers me because who would waste their time reading something when I could just tick the box and move on to the next thing.
But sometimes, these things create problems for us that we regret not taking the time to read them to understand. Perhaps there are columns to which we don't need to agree or consent to.
For me, I don't necessarily like the idea of reading manuals when I already understood the item and it's something I could easily ask help from someone or look it up online to guide me. But isn't that the same thing? Except on rare occasions where I just decide to read through and just entertain myself with reading manuals, would I do so on a normal level? No!
Both images are mine
