Not everyone is good at solving numerical problems, but simple math is different. Younger generations now seem to struggle with basic arithmetic. A McDonald’s manager said he feared for the next generation’s future after a high schooler tried to pay for their order.
McDonald’s manager Jacob Smeltzer, who goes by @krazeyjakey on TikTok, said one branch where he works is near a high school. As manager, Smeltzer often interacts with students looking for a post-school meal. In his TikTok post, he shares a customer interaction with a high schooler.
“You wanna know why I’m really worried about the future?” Smeltzer begins. “This kid’s order, I think, was like $7 or $8. So I was like, ‘Yeah, here’s the total, blah, blah, blah,” Smeltzer says. “They give me $35 and ask if that’s enough,” he shares.
The concern towards the younger generation might be valid
Smeltzer’s interaction with the kid blew his mind. “Bro, I don’t know what they’re like in school now, but they ain’t teaching them the same stuff I grew up on. Where’s the fundamentals of basic math?” Smeltzer asked.
The educational challenge of the current generation doesn’t seem isolated. Viewers in the comments section speculated on what is causing the lack of math literacy. “I’ll tell you what the problem is *ignores class* *gets homework* *sends picture to ChatGPT* ChatGPT answers all of these questions for me,” one TikTok commenter wrote.
Others mentioned that teenagers struggle to count coins for change. “They don’t know how to make change either,” one commented. “My 17-year-old didn’t know the different coins to give change,” another shared. “Some teens in front of me at Starbucks asked each other how much dimes were worth when trying to pay cash because the reader was out of order,” another added.
According to a new report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, high school students are heading toward a devastating trend, reading and learning math and science at historic lows. The report shows that almost half of high school seniors now test below basic levels in math and reading.
In reading, about 35% are at or above a proficient reading level, while 32% are below “basic” reading proficiency. In math, the report shows only about 22% of 12th graders are performing at or above proficiency standards.
“Today’s NAEP results confirm a devastating trend: American students are testing at historic lows across all of K-12,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “Despite spending billions annually on numerous K-12 programs, the achievement gap is widening, and more high school seniors are performing below the basic benchmark in math and reading than ever before.”
Hearing stories of kids struggling to count change or solve basic math problems is simply concerning. Some blame the school system, budget cuts, and teacher shortages. However, the shift to digital payments may also have affected students’ basic ability to count money.
Published: Oct 13, 2026 10:52 am