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When was the first time you laid eyes on a cow?

Not the sort of question with which we would typically start a story, granted - but we ask it for a good reason.

Remarkably, a new survey has revealed that 12 percent of British youngsters haven't seen a cow.

EVER.

Just stop and consider the implications of that for a moment. One in eight British 18-24 year-olds have never clapped eyes on a cow.

We're not talking about lions or giraffes or elephants here. We're not discussing exotic animals only Brits with enough money to go on safari would ever get to see.

This is a cow. These are people old enough to drink, vote and get elected to parliament, who have never - not once in their entire time on Earth - laid eyes on a creature which you can find in fields across this green and pleasant land.

The survey - which saw 2,000 people polled by The Prince's Countryside Fund ahead of National Countryside Week - threw up some other alarming results.

45 percent of the 'youngsters' did not know strawberries are a summer fruit. Nine in ten of them do not know turnips are best grown in the winter.

But the one eighth of 18-24 year-olds have never seen a cow in the flesh is deeply disturbing.

Mind you, as someone here at Dave Desk just realised, there are plenty of other things members of this particular demographic have never encountered…

A phone plugged in to a wall

OK, we know what you're going to say. As an 18-24 year-old, you have seen plenty of phones plugged into walls… when they need charging.

But think on this, smarty pants.

Imagine if your phone was plugged into the wall AT ALL TIMES. Imagine if you had no choice but to sit still and continue your conversation when your mum entered the room, unable to get up and simply walk away with your phone in your hand.

Incomprehensible, isn't it?

A TV with actual buttons on it

Those of us of a certain age remember TVs that were heavier than a house, took up half of your living room and - gasp - required a person to go up to the set and push a button whenever you wanted to change a channel.

You kids don't know you're born, youth is wasted on the young etc etc etc…

VHS tapes

Imagine going through life never experiencing the adrenalin rush of snapping off that little black bit of plastic and making a recording permanent.

What a joyless existence.

An economic and political landscape which offers hope for a brighter future, where all things are possible and potential is destined to be fulfilled

Actually, maybe it's about time everyone gave the youth of today a break.

Just a thought…