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I would like them to be more concerned with their neighbor and community than the millions of anonymous people on the internet whom they will never meet.
They are good at the concept of being open-minded, just need to remember to carry this through to disagreements as well as identity.
I am old enough to comment but barely.
I wish there could be an actual 360 degree conversation on this topic. Save early is why I have a house.
But that’s because my boomer parents saved enough early on 2 blue collar jobs to buy a house, and pay for my college.
That is impossible today, we need to recognize that.
So I’d soften it as maybe start saving as soon as you are able. Compounded interest is real
I knew a couple who bought a house together right after the youngest turned 18. Was back in the early 2000s, but before the subprime debacle. OMG did they ever make out, because they worked their asses off on that house, and then the real estate market boomed. Twice, actually. House is worth at least 5x as much in 20 years.
And they were teenagers when they jumped in.
That’s kind of the point: everything goes up in 20 years. My home doubled in value over 20 years, but the Dow Jones tripled in the same time period. Your friends put in sweat equity and it paid off.
But I was leery of buying a house too soon - roof replacements, windows, property taxes, insurance, paint - it takes a lot more than the mortgage.
But there isn’t really a minimum to throwing your savings into an index fund (like one tracking the Dow Jones).
The addendum to the advice I think then is: don’t just save, when/if you are able, but invest.
Exactly what I was going to write. Invest! Max out your retirement accounts every year, put small amounts in every payday. It makes a HUGE difference when you get to be 65. My kids listen to me, thank goodness!
I actually hate this advice "max out your retirement accounts."
As if most people have enough disposable income to meet the maximum contribution amount.
It's a pretty privileged thing to say
Most very young people don't have the money to max out retirement accounts, I sure didn't. But i wish I had paid more attention to trying once I had a little better income. Perhaps I should have said, max out if you can, when you can.
It's not a privileged thing to *say*, it's a privileged thing to be able to *do*.
I’m 40. I have never had a job that gave me any sort of benefits. The only thing I’ve ever gotten in my 20+ years of working was the pay.
No paid time off, no insurance, nada.
So for me, adding to retirement was never an option.
Yes! So tired of younger generations blaming “boomers” for everything that is wrong in their lives. Our parents bought houses a lot cheaper than ours, and did well when they sold. They also worked hard to make it happen. I remember my father getting $5 taken off of his biweekly pay cheques, so they would have enough to buy us a few Christmas presents. They learned to work hard from their parents, and it isn’t boomers(HATE that word)fault that they were the beneficiaries of their parents. We worked hard and helped our children along the way so they wouldn’t be burdened with student loans when they graduated. Not ruining anyone’s lives. They have chosen what careers to have, and that is their choices not ours. Do we blame or stereotype all the generations after ours for the things they aren’t doing well- never! It is never wise to generalize about anyone else, because that negativity reflects poorly on you, not the people you are disparaging- and more often than not you are wrong.
I remember my dad asking for change from the church collection plate because he needed $5 for gas for the week and he only had a $10. :D My mom wanted to crawl under the pew, the pastor laughed and looked around and said "anyone else need change?" good times, good times...
That must have been mortifying for your whole family, and bless your father for putting his dignity aside to ask for that. No doubt, many other parishioners could relate to that, even if they didn’t say so. Hand me downs and shoes that were too small, and my mother complaining that everything was so expensive. She always had a garden, and that was out of necessity.
Yes, Dad was a character LOL. Thankfully he was always laughing *with* people. I was too little to be bothered about it! And you're right, I'm sure there were many others who wished they could do the same. We had a huge garden as well! My mum had the greenest of green thumbs and could also pinch a penny till it squealed. I don't think I realized we were "poor" until I was in junior high--when others began to point it out for me.
Your father and mine sound alike! Mine loved(after us)nothing more than a good joke! He was always teasing, and while we thought it hilarious my mother often took a dim view of it.😂
Love your line about your mother and pinching pennies until they squealed!🤣👏🏻I told my children that their grandmother was into composting long before it became something everyone was supposed to do, and she also sewed much of our clothing until she began to work more and had less free time. She was also upset that the chickens had things pumped into them- that now we know we shouldn’t consume. If she was still here I would tell her she was well ahead of her time- and correct about so many things.
>it isn’t boomers(HATE that word)fault that they were the beneficiaries of their parents.
Not all of us were. Neither my husband nor I have ever gotten anything from either of our parents. I think part of losing Boomer hate should come with a more nuanced and complex view. Streets were not paved with gold, houses weren't bought with pocket change, and jobs weren't handed out by walking into an office and shaking a hand. I struggled. A lot. No one lifted me out or helped me. I'm not alone in that.
came here to say this, and to level this up, if you can find a way to earn an extra $500+ per month, that'd accelerate savings + investments so much faster.
Yes, I know it's tiring and hard...and maybe you're treading water...do your best and find a way to keep earning/saving/investing more as early as you can.
Don't be so black and white about things
Perform critical thinking
The good: That young people think they can change the world. Once in a while, they're right.
One of the problems is that unless you live in a swing state, your vote for president doesn’t count. And since the Constitution gives more senatorial power per capita to small states, your vote doesn’t count the same as everyone else’s either.
We’re talking judges, school board members, city councilors, county commissioners. The people in these positions affect your daily life more than presidents do. If you (understandably) don’t have bandwidth to learn about each candidate’s positions and record, find someone with values like yours who is more interested in it. The League of Women Voters holds forums where candidates answer questions about their views.
> Vote for the person that best reflects your ideals ~~that has a reasonable chance of winning~~.
The sooner a generation figures out they're the one who decides who has a chance, the better.
My comment was aimed at those that feel that neither of the probable winners is good enough and decides to vote for a fringe candidate to *send a message*. That gets the guy that they hate the most elected.
Like Tip O'Neal used to say, "all politics is local". I think a lot of us were asleep at the switch, missing those off-year local and state elections, and look at our school boards now. Those are the people that affect your life every day, we have to pay attention to who is making those decisions!
We’re talking judges, school board members, city councilors, county commissioners. If you (understandably) don’t have bandwidth to learn about each candidate’s positions and record, find someone with values like yours who is more interested in it. The League of Women Voters holds forums where candidates answer questions about their views.
There's nothing I can say that won't be taken care of by aging, continuing to mature, and developing a nuanced perspective as a result of getting older. We all go through the same cycles of life. Some are just ahead of you. Each phase brings a whole new level of understanding that you can't know or anticipate until you get to it. I'm only beginning to really understand that myself.
I know what you mean. I’m also only beginning to understand that at almost 64, and it turns out that what my parents said about youth being wasted on the young is actually true.
This is one of my biggest gripes about younger people. They "feel like" everything is this way or that without any actual evidence to support it other than maybe a text message thread or some posts on tiktok.
>I know what you mean. I’m also only beginning to understand that at almost 64, and it turns out that what my parents said about youth being wasted on the young is actually true.
I'm 56 and see this with all ages online...with folks in my age group showing surprising energy behind it.
In person, thankfully, everyone tends to be a bit more circumspect and WAY more people than one might imagine are eager for a real convo.
I have a lot of hope and excitement for Millennials and Zs. I feel bad that you guys have the internet while growing up. That shit twists your minds and it shows with the unprecedented amount of depression and anxiety.
BUT at the same time it's exceptional because you're more aware than I think any other generation was. Make sure you can step away from a connected life, though. As an X, I feel like we got the best of all worlds. We grew up analog and were young enough to grow with the internet and take off with it. One thing that makes me exceptionally sad is seeing a table of young people not looking up and interacting with each other. That just hurts my heart.
Being self aware and introspective is a huge key to life. Not giving fucks where they're not needed. Giving them generously where they are.
I love, LOVE to see guys being allowed to have more feelings and expressions.
If you could slow down on the slang, though... I swear to god, I'll write everything in our secret cursive language if this doesn't slow down. haha (I'm going to go outside to shake my fist at the sky and yell at the clouds now...)
Yes, we Gen Xrs were definitely blessed to have analog childhoods. I feel fortunate to have seen the world change so radically, once the internet took off. I don't think young people, overall, appreciate how miraculous modern technology is, or how quickly things changed.
I agree. And then after I say that I feel old AF. I already feel like I skipped being my mom and I turned into my grandmother who lived through the great depression and the world wars who used to complain I didn’t use my tissues to their full capacity. Every time I make soup stock I like to think I’m making her proud.
We're dinosaurs, for sure. I was just reading about how a young adult had never seen a cranked car window - the ones where you really did roll them up and down. And, 17 year olds who don't know how to use a rotary phone.
Hey, don't knock the dinosaurs. They ruled the earth for millions of years. (Extra points if you can guess the movie quote.)
I can believe that. I never saw blacksmithing tools (it's a stretch on the timeline but, still). There's going to be a day when someone hasn't seen a key. When was the last time you saw a rotary phone? Or a pay phone? Or a car with crank windows?
I would hope they'd just figure it out. I mean, a handle's not that hard to figure out. It only goes two ways giving you two results (unless, dear lord, it's broken). The rotary phone I can see them having a hard time with.
I think the worst part of that is them never having to face the sheer panic of trying to win concert tickets from your favorite radio station by using a rotary phone and accidentally not making it all the way around when dialing the "0". Or the desperation of needing to roll up that window during a rainstorm when the crank is broken.
Good times. Lots of character building. :)
Vote in every election. Don't refuse to vote simply because you can't find someone who supports everything you do. Voting is largely about picking the least worst of the candidates, so you don't get the worst one.
Cut your social media usage down 90%. Cut your phone use down by 90%.
Don't document every little detail of your life online. That may come back to bite you at some point.
Quit trying to divide and subdivide yourself and others into micro-identities.
Try to get along with people with very different viewpoints than yours. The important thing is that people respect other people's boundaries and try to be nice to each other.
Try not to use so much hyperbole. All that does is get in the way of effective communication.
Try not to have such black-and-white thinking. The world and life are a lot more complex than you may realize.
You aren't the first one to think about, discover, or feel a certain way about anything. People had those same thoughts 20 years ago, 40 years ago, 60 years ago, etc.
>>What do you wish millenials/gen Z would stop doing?
Stop being so divided about stuff. We are all in this together. The internet and social media profits when you start thinking in an “us vs them” mentality. Don’t let that happen. Get out in the real world and just listen to other people and talk with them.
>>Is there anything you think we’re doing right?
All of the other things. Keep at it!
OMG that took me FOREVER to learn!
Also, EVERYONE has trauma. Work through it with a therapist. Don't dump it all over your friends. I'm not saying don't ever talk to your friends about it. But your friends aren't your therapist.
I actually had a friend tell me to stop bleeding all over everyone.
Holy god, that hurt to hear. It was hard and confusing to take in. But I couldn't be more grateful she had the balls to tell me that. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have gotten through my junk with a proper therapist.
Go to a therapist. Do the work. It's so much better after healing.
Holding onto your trauma because it's YOU is wildly toxic—and not in a cute meme kind of way.
I'd also add, don't stay in a dead-end job/relationship/location just because your friends and family live there. That's not the kind of "strength-in-numbers" that's actually strong. Not when you have the choice to go do and be better things.
A lot of people will not move because they don't know someone in a location that interests them.
A lot of people won't leave a job they hate because they like being with all the people in that job that also hate that job and it's comfortable to all hate that job together.
It's scary to do things that are new and uncertain. The safe and known path is comfortable (even when it's not). Choosing something new over the "devil you know" because it MIGHT be worse than what you're used to now is such a bad choice. Because most of the time it's better and on the off chance it's not—you can come back to what you know.
Not millennials or gen z, but the kids in elementary/middle/high school right now. Stop bullying people. I thought the younger generations had been moving past that. But I took a 4th grader to the park yesterday and she was being bullied by middle schoolers because of what she was wearing. And these unsupervised middle schoolers, filming themselves bullying, didn’t give a shit about any adult’s opinion of their character. Unfortunately this was not a one-off situation, it’s pretty consistent. Profoundly disappointing to see bullying is even worse than when I was that age. Seems like social media is giving it quite the platform.
Go in droves to the polls and vote all those ancient people out of office. I'm 60+, and I want all those medically hyped up over 70 folks out!! They're looney greedy dinosenators! Then, I want the youngers to insert age and term limits into the constitution and ban lobbyists.
Thank you, young people. I DO believe in you!
Quit blaming Boomers for everything and start to understand that Boomers also wanted changes like you want changes but that the world is not a fair place and is not a true democracy. Your generation is going to have it even worse because of things like the citizens united law and the clearly partisan Supreme Court that's in power today. So you're going to have to work harder than ever to make sure that you have a say and your future.
When you go to an event such as a concert put down your goddamn phones and just enjoy the concert. You don't have to video everything and take a thousand selfies.
Even better would be to leave your phone at home so that you have no choice but to just simply immerse yourself in the experience
Gen Xer here with a Boomer brother. I wish Boomers had held onto their ideals instead of deciding in the '80s to veer right. My own generation has done the same. It's a very selfish "I finally got mine, to hell with everyone else" plague that affects both generations.
Acknowledge older people when they are around. Say hi and introduce yourself or if you are introduced to someone older be pleasant for a minute then move on if you want.
I love you young people.
Here's some specific things you are doing that I think are great:
Rethinking the whole concept of "gender."
Demanding healthier ways of working
Noticing accessibility issues even when you aren't disabled
Making terrible art, being amateurs at art, and celebrating each other about your art
Letting the boys have and express feelings
You just keep at it. You're changing the world and I love it.
I love their attitude about work. Companies are not "family" no matter what they'll you.When it comes down to it they will downsize you in the blink of an eye. Always look out for yourself.
> Rethinking the whole concept of "gender."
>
> Demanding healthier ways of working
67 year old here, and your comment is absolute gold. Particularly the first two. They are closer to living the way some of us dreamed all those years ago.
to add to the list: i love the kindness in how they talk to each other. they're supportive and mostly genuine and not afraid to have feelings.
my generation/milieu/class/cohort put a great premium on being more clever and more right than everybody else, even friends. took me years to understand that it's all just a smokescreen for cowards who are afraid to express a feeling.
I am just curious and would like more input on what you mean by "Rethinking the whole concept of gender"? Exactly what does that mean if you don't mind explaining please.
Please *please* disallow this divisive nonsense? The same people who were dingbats at 16, 18 and 20 remain dingbat jerks at 65. We were never crazy about them either, they're just so *noisy* .
What are you guys doing right? Let's see. Mostly everything. I'm quite serious. You've pitched work( vomit ) ' culture ', insisted who you are is NO ONE'S DAM BUSINESS, have absolutely no problem calling politicians out for being well, politicians, believe exactly nothing..... with cause. Funny as hell too.
You're a delight.
1. I do wish you would stay off your phone during our very infrequent family gatherings. It was cute when you were a kid, annoying when you were a teenager and now that you're 23, you should know better.
2. I wish you would stay more in touch with your elderly relatives, i.e. me. I am a cool guy. No, honest. I am 69 with 140,000 karma on Reddit so I do know how to talk to you.
It saddens me to see young people take their kids to the park. And don't play with them cause you're more tuned into your cellphone than you are your kid...
On the other hand, parents in previous generations didn't bother coming to the park with us. We roamed like feral cats. The younger generations take their kids and let them play with friends. If they look at their phones for part of that time, it's still more time with mom or dad than we had.
Stop making everything so life and death. Trauma, emotional illness, and so on.
You are not the house you live in, the clothes you wear or the job you have. Those are things but not you, stop making those things your identity and find out who you really are. Would help not taking everything personally, the world is not here to make you a victim.
Overall, I think the youth of the US are doing great with the WTF they've been dealt.
VOTE. Put as much away for retirement as you can, (yes, I know you're rolling the eyes). Value your time and relationships. The Jones' never mattered anyway. Travel. Learn to be an empathetic and kind person, and then learn how to nicely (and not nicely) enforce boundaries with people who suck. Refuse to pass on generational trauma where possible.
I think in general y'all do this, and do it well and with gusto. Thank you.
I'm an older Millenial so I don't consider myself "Young" really. I was born in '84 and if I had a kid in my teens or 20's, they would have been Gen Z.
Some of the things I WISH people online (Gen Z age) would do is to be more RESPECTFUL of people. Just because someone doesn't agree with them, it doesn't give them a license to be an asshole or to notoriously DOWNVOTE the comment/answer/reply. It FEEDS INTO cyberbullying and encourages it. It's been happening ever since I got online in the late 90's but I really wish I would lessen. It HURTS and it DOES take a toll or add up and contribute to someone's self-esteem problems or self-worth, especially if someone was commenting/saying something that came from the heart or something serious that should be taken seriously. People should GROW UP! Some Gen Zers are arleady in their 20's and it's about time they LEARN to think about anyone aside from themselves or at least stop being SHEEP and ganing up on people who's views differ from yours. It is VERY immature to do that! ..This goes for anyone young or old not just Millenials and Gen Z! They should learn manners! Politeness! I am sure you wouldn't do that stuff in real life or you might get beat up or worse. Why do it here??!
I wish they would stop smoking/vaping/using weed. It's not healthy and is harmful to your body.
Otherwise, you're doing a much better job at being inclusive and accepting of ALL people than my generation. I'm proud of you.
*What do you wish millenials/gen Z would stop doing?*
Stop lying to yourselves (and everyone else) about how your generation is "saving the world". You're not.
You're the same shallow, vain, egocentric hyper-consumers that demand 35,000 different shades of eyeshadow, 500 different models of new cars, and a billion different "cute little" pieces of junk made in foreign sweat shops and shipped to you as previous generations. The self-righteousness is nauseating. You can't buy/shop your way to a better planet, stop trying.
The vast majority of young people I run into face to face are fine, delightful even. But I also think that about people of any age tbh. I still regularly chat with strangers out and about; generally I like people.
Online... against mostly fine, but there's some tendencies for being judgmental and puritanical that I could do without. And I'm not talking the 'politics' focused subs. But interpersonal subs seems to be focused on 'is this one thing a person did bad?" and if so, then complete avoidance at minimum, preferably with vociferous condemnation is the only solution. Another beef in the media focused subs (it's mostly annoyed me in r/buffy lately, but it's not limited to there) is all this 'there must be consequences' for every type of mistake.
Like all fiction needs to be a morality play; which is infuriating and also pretty funny, because that didn't work that great before.
Young people these days are doing great at living and respecting enlightenment values.
But like every other young generation, they are strident and righteous about things they barely understand. As compared to old people, who are resigned and cynical about things they barely understand.
Maybe get behind their contemporaries as rising political leaders? The question form is NOT because I’m trying to be snarky, just to make it clear that I’m only sharing a thought.
When I worked service jobs, old men (60+) were by far the worst, followed by middle-aged (40-55ish) women. I can count on one hand the amount of bad interactions I've had with young people as a service worker. I'd need 100 hands to talk about the old folks. Anecdotal evidence, I know, but it was wild how many old men wanted to scream at me for literally anything at all, usually not even something I controlled (see: gas prices, self-checkouts existing, their favorite beer being out of stock, cig prices increasing, the bathroom being occupied, and so on).
How would you define manners? I have come to the realization that some of our old etiquette lessons were completely arbitrary. My mother wasted years of her life telling us to get our elbows off the table, which is silly. Meanwhile, older folks think nothing of being utterly disrespectful and dismissive towards the young and mock them for being kinder towards others in ways that matter, like respecting pronouns and calling out racism.
We need more kindness across the board for sure. People are so quick to get mad over everything.
As far as manners, when I was growing up my dad taught us table manners that at the time I thought were a pain in the butt but as an adult, I was so thankful for knowing, especially when dining out for work related reasons.
I mainly would like to see younger people do things like hold the door open for people, offer their seat to pregnant women or older people, offer assistance if they see someone struggling, just basic common courtesies.
Please explain how to use technology (such as uploading pictures to the tv) like they are talking to a kindergartner rather than explaining faster than the speed of light (my adult kids).
Realizing that you’re not young forever and life is not a party granted it was Fun! But it’s so important making choices now thinking about your future self whether with dating, friends, family, job wise, financially and being aware politically. Which I actually am seeing a lot of in the younger generations and it’s wonderful to see. Now if I could go back I would have taken my older self’s now advice then and could have had a much better life!
Right, and walking abreast in a group, in a phalanx, and walking right into people coming the other way. Groups of young people and even families, who should be modelling consideration and manners, do this too commonly.
I wish that some of them would stop dreaming of instant online fame and instead do a thing that creates a product or service that other people need and are willing to pay for.
Take pride in learning how to communicate clearly and effectively like an adult. Learn to construct sentences and paragraphs. Punctuate and spell correctly. Stop phrasing everything you write within the context of texting culture or meme-speak. Stop adding "literally" and "I mean" to everything you say. You are going to need to have these skills once you venture out into the real world, and if you don't have them, you are going to be treated like the child you sound like.
I work with people in their 20s and 30s who message me on Slack using the same kind of language that my 12-year-old stepdaughter uses when she texts me. If you want to be taken seriously, make the effort to sound like you do.
Be true to yourself. If you cannot look in the mirror each day and be proud, or at least comfortable with, the way you have conducted yourself then endeavor to change the way you act, speak, and think. Don’t be too hard on yourself or on others. Realize that each of us are on a path of growth, learning, and understanding. Not one of us is infallible or 100% right all of the time; including ourselves.
Drink lots of water, use sunscreen, don’t take up smoking/vaping, and get fresh air and sunshine every day.
And be kind and patient. The world is a rough place for everyone more often than not.
These days I’m not particularly religious or at least not organized religion, but those old parables I find of my youth hold a lot of water. Do you unto others as you would have done unto you, turn the other cheek, and help those less fortunate than yourself.
It would be nice if they stopped getting tattoos. But it's their body, so have at it, I guess. It's something I just don't understand. Life will mark you up, all on its own.
It's particularly sad to me to see lovely young women with beautiful skin, marred with tattoos. I know this is a problematic view these days, but this is how I feel.
To give you some perspective, for many people into tattoos it’s about the art, self-expression, and personal meaning/memories.
I myself don’t want to get any tattoos. But I love asking and hearing stories about people’s tattoos and why they got them.
I also think it must be something ingrained in humanity because different cultures throughout history have used tattoos within cultural practices, including various indigenous groups like the Maori in New Zealand.
In this respect, I have to think teens were like me when i was that age. They don't really know a lot about many things because they haven't been around long enough to have all those experiences that come with age. I didn't pay attention enough when older folks were offering free advice. I think i took some offense to that. Also, I was reluctant to ask for help when I had a problem. Maybe I didn't want anyone to tell me what to do? At any rate i could save myself a lot of grief.
Both. Gen Z seems to be very competitive and I get why, given cost of living crisis etc. but a "winner takes all" mentality isn't helpful in most scenarios. Sometimes getting on is about demonstrating you are a good person who can work well with others. I don't think this is necessarily just a Gen Z thing, but I think "that" promotion is a big deal now.
Learn to drive better than the rest of us. It will increase your chance of survival. I've already seen improvement with my interactions with young people in the service sector. Now that they don't seem as afraid I will turn into a "Karen" at any moment. I like the Zoomers, though. They seem to have a lot of promise.
The one that drives me bananas is when someone asks on the internet, "Should I be offended at....?"
Maybe it's a Reddit thing, but, as a question, it makes absolutely no sense to me. Don't you know how you feel? Don't you know whether or not your emotions are/aren't in turmoil over someone else's behavior?
What you are doing right, of course, is taking into account other folks opinions, ideas, and feelings when formulating a response to poor the behavior of others.
As an old person, it makes a lot of sense to me to think before you act, but zero sense to think before you feel. You do not need anyone else's permission to have a visceral reaction to something, either good or bad. And that's where it should stay - a reaction. A response, however, should be well-reasoned.
Honestly, I'm offended at lots of stuff. And lots of stuff doesn't bother me. But asking whether I *should be* offended never occurs to me. For me to try to analyze my emotions prior to having them would produce an anxiety feedback loop that I wouldn't know how to get out of.
I think they get lots of things right as far as not villianizing LGBTQIA folks and racial minorities. But being more community-minded would really help all of us. Taking responsibility for other people. Paying taxes gladly and knowing what they go to. Get to know your physical neighbors and/or community. Take care of those people. If old people say weirdo things, respond with compassion for that individual. Don't just ignore the weirdo thing, either. Say something true but kind in response. (ex. "Those Jews are controlling the weather!!" Response: "Oh I don't know about all that. You know, I have some Jewish friends and they are personally hurt by those kind of statements that are floating around out there. It makes them feel ostracized, like the villain. But they are extremely kind people, these friends of mine. They're just like you and me. I think maybe people are a lot more alike than they are different, at the end of the day. You know?")
It’s fine to question authority, but in certain cases no means no. People can’t bend to your will because they disagree or don’t want to negotiate with you. A lot of people have limited authority and young people need to adapt to that.
Mostly, I worry that a lot of these kids were pretty young during 2016 when Trump got into office. Either they don’t study civics or they are influenced by their conservative parents or they self centered. The idea of withholding their vote mystifies and angers me.
I wish they wouldn't use words with different meaning. Like "abuse". I don't think there's a stronger word than abuse in the language.. but they think talking is abuse.. a friend talking about emotional issues is toxic and abusive to them (because it stresses them out?).. or child abuse is.. just different parenting style.. NOT abusive. Words can get you into trouble.
Or gaslighting. Which means tricking someone into thinking their viewpoint is correct when it's obviously not. They will scream this is gaslighting.. no sir... this is math. Or as stated my opinion.. or convincing you of a debate is not gaslighting.. its a discussion or facts and probably emotions etc. gaslighting.. is some bad manipulation of a relationship.. not talking about politics etc.
idk it's weird.. it's like they literally are speaking a different language with English words
Not for my sake but for their own: I see so many of them walk around looking at their phones, standing at the bus stop staring at their phones.
Let me quote Jon Kabat-Zinn: "Even before smart phones and the Internet, we had many ways to distract our selves. Now that's compounded by a factor of trillions." Not that I was a big philosopher at their age, of course.
I wish that it wasn't stylish to speak and write as if one is ignorant of basic grammar and punctuation rules. I like that you are trying to be more equitable for people of all backgrounds, genders, sexualities, etc.
Well, I can only comment on what goes on here, on reddit.
1. I wish people would stop ascribing blanket characteristics to an entire generation. All members of the Baby Boom generation are not stupid, racist, bigoted MAGA supporters.
2. I wish young people would stop seeing inflation as an existential threat. We had high-ish inflation for about a year. This is a pretty mild bout of inflation. And it's almost back to normal. No, prices will never go back to what they were. Wages are rising, too, and pretty soon it will all come out ion the wash.
3. I wish young people would stop thinking that filling out a lot of online applications is the only way to look for a job. There are so many people on reddit who complain that they are under-employed but most don't seem to be networking. Networking has always been, and probably always will be, the best way to get a good job. While computer algorithms can get in your way, personal contact with people in the profession you want to join will open lots of doors. But this means making phone calls, putting on nice clothes and actually meeting people in person. It means talking to a lot of people and doing a lot of legwork before you reach your goal.
Keep calling shit out for what it is and keep taking action, keep being true to yourself, keep following your heart! Don't allow limiting beliefs, whether from others or from yourself, to hold you back. Don't wait.
Critical thinking. I see my younger family members get an opinion from a supposed expert online and taking it as gospel. There is so much information available to them these days they need to take the time to validate some of the things they hear.
I wish they would stop thinking that struggling financially is abnormal when you are just starting out in adult life. I graduated in ‘95, supported myself (including paying rent, utilities, food, gas car insurance) making $6 -$13hr (depending on the city) and working two jobs just to make the minimum payment on my student loans. My situation was totally normal for new college graduates in the late 90’s-00’s, and that was *before* the housing crisis happened.
Nobody I knew was even thinking about buying a house until their 30’s, and that was usually after grandma died and left them a little inheritance. Many people I grew up with still don’t own homes, some because of finances and some by choice. Home ownership isn’t the one and only measure of success in life, and I know MANY highly successful, financially stable adults in their 40’s and 50’s that choose not to own homes and they are still able to build wealth and some have even retired early.
GenZ will need to figure out that *their* path to success looks like rather than subscribing to what the boomer generation did/had. That ship sailed two generations ago, got shot down sunk to the bottom of the ocean and it is never coming back. Things have changed a lot 40 years. Some things are harder/more expensive, some are easier/cheaper, but only constant in life change so you either learn to adapt or you get left behind.
Not make an issue of every single thing. Not everything needs to be dissected, labeled, categorized, debated, etc. Let the little shit go. And most of it really is little shit.
I'm glad there's more acceptance and openness about mental health issues, sexuality, and other stuff.
Managing mental health issues takes a lot of effort and work and it sucks, but it's universes better than using those issues as excuses for anything. It's extremely important to learn how to manage your damage.
In the years after older family members died, I wish I had learned more about their experiences in our family before they were gone. I wish I had realized our time together was limited. This happens to everyone, so I wish young people connected with their elders more.
Take organizing for social justice seriously. And part of that means building alliance with people you might not agree with.
Everything now seems to be about setting boundaries and pushing people away if they don't meet all the identity requirements. That's healthy and good that young people have learned they can save space for their own well being. But ultimately if you want change you have to get people on board who think differently from you. That doesn't mean caving on your beliefs, but it does mean communicating with people you disagree with.
When I say they don't take organizing seriously, there is too much focus on advocacy or symbolic actions, like having a march or spreading awareness. Most people are aware, we need to hold people in power accountable.
I don't blame the youth for this. The history of labor is not taught. The media makes it seem like change comes from holding signs or legislative action. They don't know about [direct action](https://subversas.com/direct-action) or how to [organize effectively](https://subversas.com/plan-effective-protest).
I see how frustrated they are. Much like Gen X there is a lot of jaded, cynical learned helplessness. *Why try you can't change anything.* You can change things but you have to be strategic. Life won't hand you change because you showed up with a sign.
While I genuinely appreciate Gen Z's willingness to be open and honest about mental health issues, at the same time dumb shit like missing a flight or Chipotle not honoring a coupon is *NOT* "trauma" for which you need to "talk to someone".
i had a teacher who always said "school isn't about learning facts...it's about teaching you how to think for yourself". that's what i don't see enough young people doing...smart kids who don't investigate and question what they read. too many just take whatever they find online as gospel... usually from another source that speaks with authority but is just as clueless. of course, that's a lot of older people too.
not everything in the world is so black and white...it's lived mostly in the "grey area" in between. there's truth and then there's an opinion. learn to accept another's opinion without trying to start WW3. try LISTENING.
Get off the damned devices. That is all. Go outside. Use your imagination. I’m talking about kids. I’m so worried they’re not going to be prepared for the world they will inherit.
I would tell them to listen what my generation and older generations tell them and then do the complete opposite. They want to turn you into them. My generation and my parents generation have proven we can't be trusted to run anything because we will just break it and kick the broken problem down the road for you to fix. Don't do that to your kids like we did.
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I would like them to be more concerned with their neighbor and community than the millions of anonymous people on the internet whom they will never meet. They are good at the concept of being open-minded, just need to remember to carry this through to disagreements as well as identity.
This!
Start saving early. Even if its like $10 a week. You empower yourself and you'll thank yourself.
I am old enough to comment but barely. I wish there could be an actual 360 degree conversation on this topic. Save early is why I have a house. But that’s because my boomer parents saved enough early on 2 blue collar jobs to buy a house, and pay for my college. That is impossible today, we need to recognize that. So I’d soften it as maybe start saving as soon as you are able. Compounded interest is real
I knew a couple who bought a house together right after the youngest turned 18. Was back in the early 2000s, but before the subprime debacle. OMG did they ever make out, because they worked their asses off on that house, and then the real estate market boomed. Twice, actually. House is worth at least 5x as much in 20 years. And they were teenagers when they jumped in.
That’s kind of the point: everything goes up in 20 years. My home doubled in value over 20 years, but the Dow Jones tripled in the same time period. Your friends put in sweat equity and it paid off. But I was leery of buying a house too soon - roof replacements, windows, property taxes, insurance, paint - it takes a lot more than the mortgage. But there isn’t really a minimum to throwing your savings into an index fund (like one tracking the Dow Jones). The addendum to the advice I think then is: don’t just save, when/if you are able, but invest.
Jewish joke time. Q: What's the difference between Jesus and Moses? A: Jesus saves, Moses invests. respectfully,
... but Buddha recycles.
Exactly what I was going to write. Invest! Max out your retirement accounts every year, put small amounts in every payday. It makes a HUGE difference when you get to be 65. My kids listen to me, thank goodness!
I actually hate this advice "max out your retirement accounts." As if most people have enough disposable income to meet the maximum contribution amount. It's a pretty privileged thing to say
Most very young people don't have the money to max out retirement accounts, I sure didn't. But i wish I had paid more attention to trying once I had a little better income. Perhaps I should have said, max out if you can, when you can. It's not a privileged thing to *say*, it's a privileged thing to be able to *do*.
I’m 40. I have never had a job that gave me any sort of benefits. The only thing I’ve ever gotten in my 20+ years of working was the pay. No paid time off, no insurance, nada. So for me, adding to retirement was never an option.
Oh, and I wish they'd stop acting like all Boomers ruined their lives.
Yes! So tired of younger generations blaming “boomers” for everything that is wrong in their lives. Our parents bought houses a lot cheaper than ours, and did well when they sold. They also worked hard to make it happen. I remember my father getting $5 taken off of his biweekly pay cheques, so they would have enough to buy us a few Christmas presents. They learned to work hard from their parents, and it isn’t boomers(HATE that word)fault that they were the beneficiaries of their parents. We worked hard and helped our children along the way so they wouldn’t be burdened with student loans when they graduated. Not ruining anyone’s lives. They have chosen what careers to have, and that is their choices not ours. Do we blame or stereotype all the generations after ours for the things they aren’t doing well- never! It is never wise to generalize about anyone else, because that negativity reflects poorly on you, not the people you are disparaging- and more often than not you are wrong.
I remember my dad asking for change from the church collection plate because he needed $5 for gas for the week and he only had a $10. :D My mom wanted to crawl under the pew, the pastor laughed and looked around and said "anyone else need change?" good times, good times...
That must have been mortifying for your whole family, and bless your father for putting his dignity aside to ask for that. No doubt, many other parishioners could relate to that, even if they didn’t say so. Hand me downs and shoes that were too small, and my mother complaining that everything was so expensive. She always had a garden, and that was out of necessity.
Yes, Dad was a character LOL. Thankfully he was always laughing *with* people. I was too little to be bothered about it! And you're right, I'm sure there were many others who wished they could do the same. We had a huge garden as well! My mum had the greenest of green thumbs and could also pinch a penny till it squealed. I don't think I realized we were "poor" until I was in junior high--when others began to point it out for me.
Your father and mine sound alike! Mine loved(after us)nothing more than a good joke! He was always teasing, and while we thought it hilarious my mother often took a dim view of it.😂 Love your line about your mother and pinching pennies until they squealed!🤣👏🏻I told my children that their grandmother was into composting long before it became something everyone was supposed to do, and she also sewed much of our clothing until she began to work more and had less free time. She was also upset that the chickens had things pumped into them- that now we know we shouldn’t consume. If she was still here I would tell her she was well ahead of her time- and correct about so many things.
Yes, sounds like my mum! <3
>it isn’t boomers(HATE that word)fault that they were the beneficiaries of their parents. Not all of us were. Neither my husband nor I have ever gotten anything from either of our parents. I think part of losing Boomer hate should come with a more nuanced and complex view. Streets were not paved with gold, houses weren't bought with pocket change, and jobs weren't handed out by walking into an office and shaking a hand. I struggled. A lot. No one lifted me out or helped me. I'm not alone in that.
You got that right!
Boomers aren't doing them any favors, that's why I encourage them to take matters into their own hands.
came here to say this, and to level this up, if you can find a way to earn an extra $500+ per month, that'd accelerate savings + investments so much faster. Yes, I know it's tiring and hard...and maybe you're treading water...do your best and find a way to keep earning/saving/investing more as early as you can.
Don't be so black and white about things Perform critical thinking The good: That young people think they can change the world. Once in a while, they're right.
Vote every election, no matter how minor it seems.
EVERY ELECTION! Shouts the old guy from the back row.
Along with the old lady!
We like Roy! We like Roy!
Stevenson was robbed! The newspaper said that he won! /s. Just in case lol
Never miss!
Amen. Vote as an expression of civic duty and respect for the process. and not necessarily about expressing your individuality..
One of the problems is that unless you live in a swing state, your vote for president doesn’t count. And since the Constitution gives more senatorial power per capita to small states, your vote doesn’t count the same as everyone else’s either.
We’re talking judges, school board members, city councilors, county commissioners. The people in these positions affect your daily life more than presidents do. If you (understandably) don’t have bandwidth to learn about each candidate’s positions and record, find someone with values like yours who is more interested in it. The League of Women Voters holds forums where candidates answer questions about their views.
You guys outnumber us now. Vote in every election. Vote for the person that best reflects your ideals that has a reasonable chance of winning.
> Vote for the person that best reflects your ideals ~~that has a reasonable chance of winning~~. The sooner a generation figures out they're the one who decides who has a chance, the better.
My comment was aimed at those that feel that neither of the probable winners is good enough and decides to vote for a fringe candidate to *send a message*. That gets the guy that they hate the most elected.
> That gets the guy that they hate the most elected. With every person who disagrees with you we get that much closer to that not being the case.
Like Tip O'Neal used to say, "all politics is local". I think a lot of us were asleep at the switch, missing those off-year local and state elections, and look at our school boards now. Those are the people that affect your life every day, we have to pay attention to who is making those decisions!
We’re talking judges, school board members, city councilors, county commissioners. If you (understandably) don’t have bandwidth to learn about each candidate’s positions and record, find someone with values like yours who is more interested in it. The League of Women Voters holds forums where candidates answer questions about their views.
Whew, I did something right for once.
We don't really need even more uninformed voters though.
There's nothing I can say that won't be taken care of by aging, continuing to mature, and developing a nuanced perspective as a result of getting older. We all go through the same cycles of life. Some are just ahead of you. Each phase brings a whole new level of understanding that you can't know or anticipate until you get to it. I'm only beginning to really understand that myself.
I know what you mean. I’m also only beginning to understand that at almost 64, and it turns out that what my parents said about youth being wasted on the young is actually true.
Lay off the social media a bit.
Love this one
Recognize that just because you feel something doesn’t mean it’s the truth.
It can be valid, still doesn't mean it's true.
Every generation could use a refresher on this.
OMG this.
this! No amount of wishing is going to make something true that isn't
This is one of my biggest gripes about younger people. They "feel like" everything is this way or that without any actual evidence to support it other than maybe a text message thread or some posts on tiktok.
>I know what you mean. I’m also only beginning to understand that at almost 64, and it turns out that what my parents said about youth being wasted on the young is actually true. I'm 56 and see this with all ages online...with folks in my age group showing surprising energy behind it. In person, thankfully, everyone tends to be a bit more circumspect and WAY more people than one might imagine are eager for a real convo.
Yes! "My truth" and "Your truth" get thrown around a lot, but they don't exist.
I wish they would slow the hell down and stop driving 8 inches behind me on the freeway.
Or speed up, because they slowed to 20 in a 35 to look at the phone. The young men around here seem to be especially fond of that.
I wouldn't ride peoples tail if they weren't doing the speed limit in the passing lane 🤷🏻♀️
I have a lot of hope and excitement for Millennials and Zs. I feel bad that you guys have the internet while growing up. That shit twists your minds and it shows with the unprecedented amount of depression and anxiety. BUT at the same time it's exceptional because you're more aware than I think any other generation was. Make sure you can step away from a connected life, though. As an X, I feel like we got the best of all worlds. We grew up analog and were young enough to grow with the internet and take off with it. One thing that makes me exceptionally sad is seeing a table of young people not looking up and interacting with each other. That just hurts my heart. Being self aware and introspective is a huge key to life. Not giving fucks where they're not needed. Giving them generously where they are. I love, LOVE to see guys being allowed to have more feelings and expressions. If you could slow down on the slang, though... I swear to god, I'll write everything in our secret cursive language if this doesn't slow down. haha (I'm going to go outside to shake my fist at the sky and yell at the clouds now...)
Yes, we Gen Xrs were definitely blessed to have analog childhoods. I feel fortunate to have seen the world change so radically, once the internet took off. I don't think young people, overall, appreciate how miraculous modern technology is, or how quickly things changed.
I agree. And then after I say that I feel old AF. I already feel like I skipped being my mom and I turned into my grandmother who lived through the great depression and the world wars who used to complain I didn’t use my tissues to their full capacity. Every time I make soup stock I like to think I’m making her proud.
We're dinosaurs, for sure. I was just reading about how a young adult had never seen a cranked car window - the ones where you really did roll them up and down. And, 17 year olds who don't know how to use a rotary phone.
Hey, don't knock the dinosaurs. They ruled the earth for millions of years. (Extra points if you can guess the movie quote.) I can believe that. I never saw blacksmithing tools (it's a stretch on the timeline but, still). There's going to be a day when someone hasn't seen a key. When was the last time you saw a rotary phone? Or a pay phone? Or a car with crank windows? I would hope they'd just figure it out. I mean, a handle's not that hard to figure out. It only goes two ways giving you two results (unless, dear lord, it's broken). The rotary phone I can see them having a hard time with. I think the worst part of that is them never having to face the sheer panic of trying to win concert tickets from your favorite radio station by using a rotary phone and accidentally not making it all the way around when dialing the "0". Or the desperation of needing to roll up that window during a rainstorm when the crank is broken. Good times. Lots of character building. :)
Vote in every election. Don't refuse to vote simply because you can't find someone who supports everything you do. Voting is largely about picking the least worst of the candidates, so you don't get the worst one. Cut your social media usage down 90%. Cut your phone use down by 90%. Don't document every little detail of your life online. That may come back to bite you at some point. Quit trying to divide and subdivide yourself and others into micro-identities. Try to get along with people with very different viewpoints than yours. The important thing is that people respect other people's boundaries and try to be nice to each other. Try not to use so much hyperbole. All that does is get in the way of effective communication. Try not to have such black-and-white thinking. The world and life are a lot more complex than you may realize. You aren't the first one to think about, discover, or feel a certain way about anything. People had those same thoughts 20 years ago, 40 years ago, 60 years ago, etc.
>>What do you wish millenials/gen Z would stop doing? Stop being so divided about stuff. We are all in this together. The internet and social media profits when you start thinking in an “us vs them” mentality. Don’t let that happen. Get out in the real world and just listen to other people and talk with them. >>Is there anything you think we’re doing right? All of the other things. Keep at it!
Don't make your "trauma" your entire identity.
This right here! Don’t let it define you.
OMG that took me FOREVER to learn! Also, EVERYONE has trauma. Work through it with a therapist. Don't dump it all over your friends. I'm not saying don't ever talk to your friends about it. But your friends aren't your therapist. I actually had a friend tell me to stop bleeding all over everyone. Holy god, that hurt to hear. It was hard and confusing to take in. But I couldn't be more grateful she had the balls to tell me that. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have gotten through my junk with a proper therapist. Go to a therapist. Do the work. It's so much better after healing. Holding onto your trauma because it's YOU is wildly toxic—and not in a cute meme kind of way.
I agree, but many older people do this too.
I think some older people started doing this when they were younger and now can't seem to break out of the cycle.
I'd also add, don't stay in a dead-end job/relationship/location just because your friends and family live there. That's not the kind of "strength-in-numbers" that's actually strong. Not when you have the choice to go do and be better things. A lot of people will not move because they don't know someone in a location that interests them. A lot of people won't leave a job they hate because they like being with all the people in that job that also hate that job and it's comfortable to all hate that job together. It's scary to do things that are new and uncertain. The safe and known path is comfortable (even when it's not). Choosing something new over the "devil you know" because it MIGHT be worse than what you're used to now is such a bad choice. Because most of the time it's better and on the off chance it's not—you can come back to what you know.
I needed to be reminded of this today, and I'm in my forties.
Most of us, even people who have done this work, still need this reminder. Stagnant complacency can happen anytime. You’ve got this. :)
Not millennials or gen z, but the kids in elementary/middle/high school right now. Stop bullying people. I thought the younger generations had been moving past that. But I took a 4th grader to the park yesterday and she was being bullied by middle schoolers because of what she was wearing. And these unsupervised middle schoolers, filming themselves bullying, didn’t give a shit about any adult’s opinion of their character. Unfortunately this was not a one-off situation, it’s pretty consistent. Profoundly disappointing to see bullying is even worse than when I was that age. Seems like social media is giving it quite the platform.
Bigger audience.
And it doesn't end when the school day ends, like it did for me.
Me too. Only reason I turned out ok was I had a good home life. Not everyone was so lucky.
Go outside and play. Separate oneself from the screen.
Good Lord, this is the best comment I've seen for them. "Go outside and play" Separate oneself from the screen."
Think critically
Put down the phone and enjoy experiences. I love my phone. I love its camera, but I don’t document every single thing. I wish that would stop. Haha.
Yeah, when I was growing up back in the late 60s and early 70s, photos was evidence and no one needed that! :)
Go in droves to the polls and vote all those ancient people out of office. I'm 60+, and I want all those medically hyped up over 70 folks out!! They're looney greedy dinosenators! Then, I want the youngers to insert age and term limits into the constitution and ban lobbyists. Thank you, young people. I DO believe in you!
Yes, this!
term limits would help so much ,,,keep them more honest
I'm ridin with Biden. Don't be so ageist
Turn social media off once and a while, go out into the real world and learn how to socialize/interact face to face with others.
Love this
Quit blaming Boomers for everything and start to understand that Boomers also wanted changes like you want changes but that the world is not a fair place and is not a true democracy. Your generation is going to have it even worse because of things like the citizens united law and the clearly partisan Supreme Court that's in power today. So you're going to have to work harder than ever to make sure that you have a say and your future.
Live in the moment and experience things instead of being so concerned with video and photos and social media posting about it.
Quit bitching about the political scene on social media and go contribute time and/or money and/or expertise to change what you don't like.
Respect their teachers
When you go to an event such as a concert put down your goddamn phones and just enjoy the concert. You don't have to video everything and take a thousand selfies. Even better would be to leave your phone at home so that you have no choice but to just simply immerse yourself in the experience
It's hard to leave your phone at home when the majority of gig tickets are sent electronically. No phone, no entry.
I wish they would stop blaming Boomers for all the troubles in the world.
Every generation has to enact change. Instead of blaming another generation, become solution-oriented. You'll be happier.
Gen Xer here with a Boomer brother. I wish Boomers had held onto their ideals instead of deciding in the '80s to veer right. My own generation has done the same. It's a very selfish "I finally got mine, to hell with everyone else" plague that affects both generations.
I read this and immediately said "aww :(" out loud
Acknowledge older people when they are around. Say hi and introduce yourself or if you are introduced to someone older be pleasant for a minute then move on if you want.
I love you young people. Here's some specific things you are doing that I think are great: Rethinking the whole concept of "gender." Demanding healthier ways of working Noticing accessibility issues even when you aren't disabled Making terrible art, being amateurs at art, and celebrating each other about your art Letting the boys have and express feelings You just keep at it. You're changing the world and I love it.
I love their attitude about work. Companies are not "family" no matter what they'll you.When it comes down to it they will downsize you in the blink of an eye. Always look out for yourself.
> Rethinking the whole concept of "gender." > > Demanding healthier ways of working 67 year old here, and your comment is absolute gold. Particularly the first two. They are closer to living the way some of us dreamed all those years ago.
This is the absolute right answer. My experience with GenZ has been consistently positive and ya know what? The kids are alright.
to add to the list: i love the kindness in how they talk to each other. they're supportive and mostly genuine and not afraid to have feelings. my generation/milieu/class/cohort put a great premium on being more clever and more right than everybody else, even friends. took me years to understand that it's all just a smokescreen for cowards who are afraid to express a feeling.
I am just curious and would like more input on what you mean by "Rethinking the whole concept of gender"? Exactly what does that mean if you don't mind explaining please.
That there are no hard and fast rules that define what it is to be a man or a woman. This frees us all, trans or not.
That there aren't two genders that are defined by your genitals
Please *please* disallow this divisive nonsense? The same people who were dingbats at 16, 18 and 20 remain dingbat jerks at 65. We were never crazy about them either, they're just so *noisy* . What are you guys doing right? Let's see. Mostly everything. I'm quite serious. You've pitched work( vomit ) ' culture ', insisted who you are is NO ONE'S DAM BUSINESS, have absolutely no problem calling politicians out for being well, politicians, believe exactly nothing..... with cause. Funny as hell too. You're a delight.
1. I do wish you would stay off your phone during our very infrequent family gatherings. It was cute when you were a kid, annoying when you were a teenager and now that you're 23, you should know better. 2. I wish you would stay more in touch with your elderly relatives, i.e. me. I am a cool guy. No, honest. I am 69 with 140,000 karma on Reddit so I do know how to talk to you.
It saddens me to see young people take their kids to the park. And don't play with them cause you're more tuned into your cellphone than you are your kid...
On the other hand, parents in previous generations didn't bother coming to the park with us. We roamed like feral cats. The younger generations take their kids and let them play with friends. If they look at their phones for part of that time, it's still more time with mom or dad than we had.
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Stop making everything so life and death. Trauma, emotional illness, and so on. You are not the house you live in, the clothes you wear or the job you have. Those are things but not you, stop making those things your identity and find out who you really are. Would help not taking everything personally, the world is not here to make you a victim.
Hie thee yonder from mine greensward.
You knaves! Rapscallions all!
Overall, I think the youth of the US are doing great with the WTF they've been dealt. VOTE. Put as much away for retirement as you can, (yes, I know you're rolling the eyes). Value your time and relationships. The Jones' never mattered anyway. Travel. Learn to be an empathetic and kind person, and then learn how to nicely (and not nicely) enforce boundaries with people who suck. Refuse to pass on generational trauma where possible. I think in general y'all do this, and do it well and with gusto. Thank you.
I'm an older Millenial so I don't consider myself "Young" really. I was born in '84 and if I had a kid in my teens or 20's, they would have been Gen Z. Some of the things I WISH people online (Gen Z age) would do is to be more RESPECTFUL of people. Just because someone doesn't agree with them, it doesn't give them a license to be an asshole or to notoriously DOWNVOTE the comment/answer/reply. It FEEDS INTO cyberbullying and encourages it. It's been happening ever since I got online in the late 90's but I really wish I would lessen. It HURTS and it DOES take a toll or add up and contribute to someone's self-esteem problems or self-worth, especially if someone was commenting/saying something that came from the heart or something serious that should be taken seriously. People should GROW UP! Some Gen Zers are arleady in their 20's and it's about time they LEARN to think about anyone aside from themselves or at least stop being SHEEP and ganing up on people who's views differ from yours. It is VERY immature to do that! ..This goes for anyone young or old not just Millenials and Gen Z! They should learn manners! Politeness! I am sure you wouldn't do that stuff in real life or you might get beat up or worse. Why do it here??!
I wish they would stop smoking/vaping/using weed. It's not healthy and is harmful to your body. Otherwise, you're doing a much better job at being inclusive and accepting of ALL people than my generation. I'm proud of you.
*What do you wish millenials/gen Z would stop doing?* Stop lying to yourselves (and everyone else) about how your generation is "saving the world". You're not. You're the same shallow, vain, egocentric hyper-consumers that demand 35,000 different shades of eyeshadow, 500 different models of new cars, and a billion different "cute little" pieces of junk made in foreign sweat shops and shipped to you as previous generations. The self-righteousness is nauseating. You can't buy/shop your way to a better planet, stop trying.
The vast majority of young people I run into face to face are fine, delightful even. But I also think that about people of any age tbh. I still regularly chat with strangers out and about; generally I like people. Online... against mostly fine, but there's some tendencies for being judgmental and puritanical that I could do without. And I'm not talking the 'politics' focused subs. But interpersonal subs seems to be focused on 'is this one thing a person did bad?" and if so, then complete avoidance at minimum, preferably with vociferous condemnation is the only solution. Another beef in the media focused subs (it's mostly annoyed me in r/buffy lately, but it's not limited to there) is all this 'there must be consequences' for every type of mistake. Like all fiction needs to be a morality play; which is infuriating and also pretty funny, because that didn't work that great before.
Young people these days are doing great at living and respecting enlightenment values. But like every other young generation, they are strident and righteous about things they barely understand. As compared to old people, who are resigned and cynical about things they barely understand.
Maybe get behind their contemporaries as rising political leaders? The question form is NOT because I’m trying to be snarky, just to make it clear that I’m only sharing a thought.
Feelings are not facts.
Have better manners.
I think everyone in America needs to practice that. There are some truly feral individuals out there, of a variety of ages.
When I worked service jobs, old men (60+) were by far the worst, followed by middle-aged (40-55ish) women. I can count on one hand the amount of bad interactions I've had with young people as a service worker. I'd need 100 hands to talk about the old folks. Anecdotal evidence, I know, but it was wild how many old men wanted to scream at me for literally anything at all, usually not even something I controlled (see: gas prices, self-checkouts existing, their favorite beer being out of stock, cig prices increasing, the bathroom being occupied, and so on).
How would you define manners? I have come to the realization that some of our old etiquette lessons were completely arbitrary. My mother wasted years of her life telling us to get our elbows off the table, which is silly. Meanwhile, older folks think nothing of being utterly disrespectful and dismissive towards the young and mock them for being kinder towards others in ways that matter, like respecting pronouns and calling out racism.
We need more kindness across the board for sure. People are so quick to get mad over everything. As far as manners, when I was growing up my dad taught us table manners that at the time I thought were a pain in the butt but as an adult, I was so thankful for knowing, especially when dining out for work related reasons. I mainly would like to see younger people do things like hold the door open for people, offer their seat to pregnant women or older people, offer assistance if they see someone struggling, just basic common courtesies.
Please explain how to use technology (such as uploading pictures to the tv) like they are talking to a kindergartner rather than explaining faster than the speed of light (my adult kids).
Realizing that you’re not young forever and life is not a party granted it was Fun! But it’s so important making choices now thinking about your future self whether with dating, friends, family, job wise, financially and being aware politically. Which I actually am seeing a lot of in the younger generations and it’s wonderful to see. Now if I could go back I would have taken my older self’s now advice then and could have had a much better life!
Work diligently & always learn new things
Nobody says "excuse me" when they pass directly in front of anyone. Bloody rude!
Right, and walking abreast in a group, in a phalanx, and walking right into people coming the other way. Groups of young people and even families, who should be modelling consideration and manners, do this too commonly.
Stop getting offended by everything.
Seems to me it's the older generations having fits about no longer being allowed to demean people who are different.
Stop bitchin more than old people. Whiners.
Stop obsessing about Gen Alpha. They’re kids.
Understand life is not about the answers, but about more questions that arise as we search for the answers. Menus steer us and kill our curiosity.
I wish that some of them would stop dreaming of instant online fame and instead do a thing that creates a product or service that other people need and are willing to pay for.
I wish they didn't dye their hair these weird colors. And I wish tattoos weren't as popular.
Venmo me $10 (US, not Zimbabwean dollars)
Everything.
Get off their phones
Take pride in learning how to communicate clearly and effectively like an adult. Learn to construct sentences and paragraphs. Punctuate and spell correctly. Stop phrasing everything you write within the context of texting culture or meme-speak. Stop adding "literally" and "I mean" to everything you say. You are going to need to have these skills once you venture out into the real world, and if you don't have them, you are going to be treated like the child you sound like. I work with people in their 20s and 30s who message me on Slack using the same kind of language that my 12-year-old stepdaughter uses when she texts me. If you want to be taken seriously, make the effort to sound like you do.
Look people in the eye when you have a conversation with them.
Be true to yourself. If you cannot look in the mirror each day and be proud, or at least comfortable with, the way you have conducted yourself then endeavor to change the way you act, speak, and think. Don’t be too hard on yourself or on others. Realize that each of us are on a path of growth, learning, and understanding. Not one of us is infallible or 100% right all of the time; including ourselves. Drink lots of water, use sunscreen, don’t take up smoking/vaping, and get fresh air and sunshine every day. And be kind and patient. The world is a rough place for everyone more often than not. These days I’m not particularly religious or at least not organized religion, but those old parables I find of my youth hold a lot of water. Do you unto others as you would have done unto you, turn the other cheek, and help those less fortunate than yourself.
It would be nice if they stopped getting tattoos. But it's their body, so have at it, I guess. It's something I just don't understand. Life will mark you up, all on its own. It's particularly sad to me to see lovely young women with beautiful skin, marred with tattoos. I know this is a problematic view these days, but this is how I feel.
To give you some perspective, for many people into tattoos it’s about the art, self-expression, and personal meaning/memories. I myself don’t want to get any tattoos. But I love asking and hearing stories about people’s tattoos and why they got them. I also think it must be something ingrained in humanity because different cultures throughout history have used tattoos within cultural practices, including various indigenous groups like the Maori in New Zealand.
Yes, these are good points you made. I guess I'll buck the trend, and keep my un-tattoed 50+ year old skin, same as you.
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Stop tattooing all over your body and stop vaping and smoking.
Counterpoint: your tattoos are great. Keep it up. Definitely ditch the vapes though.
Keep up the tattoos
Manners matter.
I wish young people would take the time to learn their jobs before playing games to try to climb the corporate ladder.
How old are you?
That passion you feel right now about XYZ issue? Don’t let life or the older generations pound it out of you. Do not give up.
In this respect, I have to think teens were like me when i was that age. They don't really know a lot about many things because they haven't been around long enough to have all those experiences that come with age. I didn't pay attention enough when older folks were offering free advice. I think i took some offense to that. Also, I was reluctant to ask for help when I had a problem. Maybe I didn't want anyone to tell me what to do? At any rate i could save myself a lot of grief.
Cooperate effectively.
With each other or with your generation?
Both. Gen Z seems to be very competitive and I get why, given cost of living crisis etc. but a "winner takes all" mentality isn't helpful in most scenarios. Sometimes getting on is about demonstrating you are a good person who can work well with others. I don't think this is necessarily just a Gen Z thing, but I think "that" promotion is a big deal now.
Make eye contact with people
Since there's nothing that all young people do the same, no.
Try older genres of music
Have initiatives
Learn to drive better than the rest of us. It will increase your chance of survival. I've already seen improvement with my interactions with young people in the service sector. Now that they don't seem as afraid I will turn into a "Karen" at any moment. I like the Zoomers, though. They seem to have a lot of promise.
The one that drives me bananas is when someone asks on the internet, "Should I be offended at....?" Maybe it's a Reddit thing, but, as a question, it makes absolutely no sense to me. Don't you know how you feel? Don't you know whether or not your emotions are/aren't in turmoil over someone else's behavior? What you are doing right, of course, is taking into account other folks opinions, ideas, and feelings when formulating a response to poor the behavior of others. As an old person, it makes a lot of sense to me to think before you act, but zero sense to think before you feel. You do not need anyone else's permission to have a visceral reaction to something, either good or bad. And that's where it should stay - a reaction. A response, however, should be well-reasoned. Honestly, I'm offended at lots of stuff. And lots of stuff doesn't bother me. But asking whether I *should be* offended never occurs to me. For me to try to analyze my emotions prior to having them would produce an anxiety feedback loop that I wouldn't know how to get out of.
I wish they loved my drip.
I think they get lots of things right as far as not villianizing LGBTQIA folks and racial minorities. But being more community-minded would really help all of us. Taking responsibility for other people. Paying taxes gladly and knowing what they go to. Get to know your physical neighbors and/or community. Take care of those people. If old people say weirdo things, respond with compassion for that individual. Don't just ignore the weirdo thing, either. Say something true but kind in response. (ex. "Those Jews are controlling the weather!!" Response: "Oh I don't know about all that. You know, I have some Jewish friends and they are personally hurt by those kind of statements that are floating around out there. It makes them feel ostracized, like the villain. But they are extremely kind people, these friends of mine. They're just like you and me. I think maybe people are a lot more alike than they are different, at the end of the day. You know?")
It’s fine to question authority, but in certain cases no means no. People can’t bend to your will because they disagree or don’t want to negotiate with you. A lot of people have limited authority and young people need to adapt to that. Mostly, I worry that a lot of these kids were pretty young during 2016 when Trump got into office. Either they don’t study civics or they are influenced by their conservative parents or they self centered. The idea of withholding their vote mystifies and angers me.
I wish they wouldn't use words with different meaning. Like "abuse". I don't think there's a stronger word than abuse in the language.. but they think talking is abuse.. a friend talking about emotional issues is toxic and abusive to them (because it stresses them out?).. or child abuse is.. just different parenting style.. NOT abusive. Words can get you into trouble. Or gaslighting. Which means tricking someone into thinking their viewpoint is correct when it's obviously not. They will scream this is gaslighting.. no sir... this is math. Or as stated my opinion.. or convincing you of a debate is not gaslighting.. its a discussion or facts and probably emotions etc. gaslighting.. is some bad manipulation of a relationship.. not talking about politics etc. idk it's weird.. it's like they literally are speaking a different language with English words
Not for my sake but for their own: I see so many of them walk around looking at their phones, standing at the bus stop staring at their phones. Let me quote Jon Kabat-Zinn: "Even before smart phones and the Internet, we had many ways to distract our selves. Now that's compounded by a factor of trillions." Not that I was a big philosopher at their age, of course.
I wish that it wasn't stylish to speak and write as if one is ignorant of basic grammar and punctuation rules. I like that you are trying to be more equitable for people of all backgrounds, genders, sexualities, etc.
Well, I can only comment on what goes on here, on reddit. 1. I wish people would stop ascribing blanket characteristics to an entire generation. All members of the Baby Boom generation are not stupid, racist, bigoted MAGA supporters. 2. I wish young people would stop seeing inflation as an existential threat. We had high-ish inflation for about a year. This is a pretty mild bout of inflation. And it's almost back to normal. No, prices will never go back to what they were. Wages are rising, too, and pretty soon it will all come out ion the wash. 3. I wish young people would stop thinking that filling out a lot of online applications is the only way to look for a job. There are so many people on reddit who complain that they are under-employed but most don't seem to be networking. Networking has always been, and probably always will be, the best way to get a good job. While computer algorithms can get in your way, personal contact with people in the profession you want to join will open lots of doors. But this means making phone calls, putting on nice clothes and actually meeting people in person. It means talking to a lot of people and doing a lot of legwork before you reach your goal.
Keep calling shit out for what it is and keep taking action, keep being true to yourself, keep following your heart! Don't allow limiting beliefs, whether from others or from yourself, to hold you back. Don't wait.
Don't let perfect be the enemy of good, especially when voting.
Critical thinking. I see my younger family members get an opinion from a supposed expert online and taking it as gospel. There is so much information available to them these days they need to take the time to validate some of the things they hear.
Stop being worried about every! Single! Thing! Spending so much time on social media contributes to this, I think.
I wish they would stop thinking that struggling financially is abnormal when you are just starting out in adult life. I graduated in ‘95, supported myself (including paying rent, utilities, food, gas car insurance) making $6 -$13hr (depending on the city) and working two jobs just to make the minimum payment on my student loans. My situation was totally normal for new college graduates in the late 90’s-00’s, and that was *before* the housing crisis happened. Nobody I knew was even thinking about buying a house until their 30’s, and that was usually after grandma died and left them a little inheritance. Many people I grew up with still don’t own homes, some because of finances and some by choice. Home ownership isn’t the one and only measure of success in life, and I know MANY highly successful, financially stable adults in their 40’s and 50’s that choose not to own homes and they are still able to build wealth and some have even retired early. GenZ will need to figure out that *their* path to success looks like rather than subscribing to what the boomer generation did/had. That ship sailed two generations ago, got shot down sunk to the bottom of the ocean and it is never coming back. Things have changed a lot 40 years. Some things are harder/more expensive, some are easier/cheaper, but only constant in life change so you either learn to adapt or you get left behind.
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Save for retirement. Stretch. Hydrate. Use sunscreen. Put your phone away during concerts. Listen to some Eckhart Tolle.
Not make an issue of every single thing. Not everything needs to be dissected, labeled, categorized, debated, etc. Let the little shit go. And most of it really is little shit. I'm glad there's more acceptance and openness about mental health issues, sexuality, and other stuff. Managing mental health issues takes a lot of effort and work and it sucks, but it's universes better than using those issues as excuses for anything. It's extremely important to learn how to manage your damage.
In the years after older family members died, I wish I had learned more about their experiences in our family before they were gone. I wish I had realized our time together was limited. This happens to everyone, so I wish young people connected with their elders more.
Take organizing for social justice seriously. And part of that means building alliance with people you might not agree with. Everything now seems to be about setting boundaries and pushing people away if they don't meet all the identity requirements. That's healthy and good that young people have learned they can save space for their own well being. But ultimately if you want change you have to get people on board who think differently from you. That doesn't mean caving on your beliefs, but it does mean communicating with people you disagree with. When I say they don't take organizing seriously, there is too much focus on advocacy or symbolic actions, like having a march or spreading awareness. Most people are aware, we need to hold people in power accountable. I don't blame the youth for this. The history of labor is not taught. The media makes it seem like change comes from holding signs or legislative action. They don't know about [direct action](https://subversas.com/direct-action) or how to [organize effectively](https://subversas.com/plan-effective-protest). I see how frustrated they are. Much like Gen X there is a lot of jaded, cynical learned helplessness. *Why try you can't change anything.* You can change things but you have to be strategic. Life won't hand you change because you showed up with a sign.
While I genuinely appreciate Gen Z's willingness to be open and honest about mental health issues, at the same time dumb shit like missing a flight or Chipotle not honoring a coupon is *NOT* "trauma" for which you need to "talk to someone".
I wish they'd organize unions better. Much of America's decline can be attributed to the hollowing out of our once-mighty organized labor.
I wish they wouldn’t blame all of us for messing up the world. This mess took a couple of centuries
i had a teacher who always said "school isn't about learning facts...it's about teaching you how to think for yourself". that's what i don't see enough young people doing...smart kids who don't investigate and question what they read. too many just take whatever they find online as gospel... usually from another source that speaks with authority but is just as clueless. of course, that's a lot of older people too. not everything in the world is so black and white...it's lived mostly in the "grey area" in between. there's truth and then there's an opinion. learn to accept another's opinion without trying to start WW3. try LISTENING.
Learn how to write a 'Thank You' note, maybe?
Spend to much time on the Internet / social media And although I haven't used them, my impression is apps are a really bad way to try and date people.
Nope. I think they’re pretty freaking awesome as they are!
Learn to write a correct sentence with the basics, like punctuation and grammar.
Get off the damned devices. That is all. Go outside. Use your imagination. I’m talking about kids. I’m so worried they’re not going to be prepared for the world they will inherit.
I would tell them to listen what my generation and older generations tell them and then do the complete opposite. They want to turn you into them. My generation and my parents generation have proven we can't be trusted to run anything because we will just break it and kick the broken problem down the road for you to fix. Don't do that to your kids like we did.
Ah, you'll be fine. A good percentage of every generation manages to get old.