Things You Don't Understand About The New Generation

[SlammedZero]

I know so many people with teenagers, and honestly, almost all of them tell me that their kids have no interest in getting a license, a car, or even driving. This absolutely blows me away. I could not WAIT to get a set of wheels when I was a teenager. It was a rite of passage back then. Getting your license and your first hooptie (mine was an '89 Nissan Hardbody) meant freedom and independence. I'll never forget the thrill of rolling out on my own, picking up friends, and cruising aimlessly around town just looking for something to do.
I get we live in a different era with tons of rideshare options, and yeah, cars and gas are more expensive, but still, it just blows me away. I can’t get over it!

 

[Runwildboys]

They fairly recently hired a few young ladies (18 years old) to help build piles of lumber, one of whom was eager to learn to tally the lumber. She wants very much to buy a house, as soon as she can, which I find impressive. After she was hired, three young men and one other girl - all friends of hers - were hired as well. The four friends don't seem much interested in anything to do with adulthood, though most of them have vehicles.

All my nieces and nephews were eager to get licenses and cars, and most at least ventured into college.

I think a lot of it may have to do with how they're raised. Too much coddling, and not enough responsibility and accountability seems to make them weak, lazy, and entitled.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

My wife knows a couple in the early twenties, mind-boggling what they don't know. They have no frame of reference of what came before no clue of what 9/11 was let alone anything that came before

 

[VaqueroTD]

I’m not sure I understand the difference between Millenials, Gen Z, or Gen Alpha, other than the younger they are, the more they grew up with portable computers/phones. I understand the different attitudes and views, just goes with all youth. I’m not ignorant enough to think my views on life are any better other than I have more experience with the realities of life. But I think where they grow up and their socioeconomic background play as much a part now as the year of birth does.

 

[Reality]

I know so many people with teenagers, and honestly, almost all of them tell me that their kids have no interest in getting a license, a car, or even driving. This absolutely blows me away. I could not WAIT to get a set of wheels when I was a teenager. It was a rite of passage back then. Getting your license and your first hooptie (mine was an '89 Nissan Hardbody) meant freedom and independence. I'll never forget the thrill of rolling out on my own, picking up friends, and cruising aimlessly around town just looking for something to do.
I get we live in a different era with tons of rideshare options, and yeah, cars and gas are more expensive, but still, it just blows me away. I can’t get over it!

There was a reason we wanted to drive when we were younger and that was because home was boring and "fun" was elsewhere.

These days, there are less offline things for kids to do and there are less things kids want to do that are away from home because of the internet, so getting a new phone, computer, gaming system, clothes or a variety of other things matters more.

The few things they want to go to away from home and school are usually things their parents or one of their friend's parents will give them a ride to or they can call an uber/lift ride.

For us, a car was an escape and a taste of independence. For kids today, a car is a way to work and those two things are usually tied together once you get one of them.

 

[Tabascocat]

What drives me crazy is their reliability on delivery of everything. Gone are the days of actual grocery shopping. Even the ones who can muster up enough energy to go to the store get it hand delivered to their car…..which is usually a Tesla or Prius

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

What drives me crazy is their reliability on delivery of everything. Gone are the days of actual grocery shopping. Even the ones who can muster up enough energy to go to the store get it hand delivered to their car…..which is usually a Tesla or Prius

I've literally had a customer order something through doordash, pay the markup then come get the food themselves lol. It's usually a young person

 

[Tabascocat]

I've literally had a customer order something through doordash, pay the markup then come get the food themselves lol. It's usually a young person

My niece lives super close to a grocery store, like a 3-minute walk. She will pay the delivery fee on something stupid, like a coke or cookies. The items are usually cheaper than the delivery fee

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

My niece lives super close to a grocery store, like a 3-minute walk. She will pay the delivery fee on something stupid, like a coke or cookies. The items are usually cheaper than the delivery fee

Lol, I always talk to the doordash drivers ask them what the craziest things are they delivered. Ice cream cones, big gulps, stuff from Home Improvement stores. Even condoms LOL

 

[Streifenkarl]

I think this whole generational thing is nonsense. Since the beginning of time the elderly have scoffed at what the young do and say. Adults have predicted the end of the world because of what teenagers and twens have been saying and the way they do things. I bet our grandparents or parents had the same discussions about us back in the day.

It's just how society works. So I like the premise of this thread which seems to be just be driven by curiosity rather than scepticism.

I'm 45 and I absolutely hate how teenagers talk these days and what they do. But I laugh about myself more than hate on them. I have become a grumpy old man already. I have two young kids and I fear the day they become teenagers. I'll be even more grumpy by then. I'll hate their friends, their music, their clothes, their haircuts. And I'll be worried about drugs, alcohol and pregnancies the whole time.

All that even though we have been so bad ourselves at that age lol. If my kids only do half the bad stuff we did when I was young they'll be recognized as enemies of the state or something.

 

[Runwildboys]

My niece lives super close to a grocery store, like a 3-minute walk. She will pay the delivery fee on something stupid, like a coke or cookies. The items are usually cheaper than the delivery fee

Then she'll wonder why she can't afford something she otherwise could have.

 

[Runwildboys]

I think this whole generational thing is nonsense. Since the beginning of time the elderly have scoffed at what the young do and say. Adults have predicted the end of the world because of what teenagers and twens have been saying and the way they do things. I bet our grandparents or parents had the same discussions about us back in the day.

It's just how society works. So I like the premise of this thread which seems to be just be driven by curiosity rather than scepticism.

I'm 45 and I absolutely hate how teenagers talk these days and what they do. But I laugh about myself more than hate on them. I have become a grumpy old man already. I have two young kids and I fear the day they become teenagers. I'll be even more grumpy by then. I'll hate their friends, their music, their clothes, their haircuts. And I'll be worried about drugs, alcohol and pregnancies the whole time.

All that even though we have been so bad ourselves at that age lol. If my kids only do half the bad stuff we did when I was young they'll be recognized as enemies of the state or something.

This situation is different, IMO, because the newer generations have never known life without a powerful computer/camera/gaming console/phone in their hand at all times.

Add to that, the often detrimental Internet, and the fact that, for many, most of their "friends" are people they've never even met in person.

Now you have a recipe for a completely new paradigm, regarding the way people interact, their goals, their values, and their morals, all within a couple of decades.

I'm not saying whether it's good, bad, or indifferent, but it definitely widens the generation gap.

 

[Creeper]

Yes! None of my nieces and nephews got their licenses when they were eligible. When I was a kid we couldn't wait to get a license, and buy a car. We would buy any piece of junk we could afford just to get on the road. A lot of young people aren't getting married either, at least not until their late 30s or early 40s.

I also think the younger generation lacks motivation. I couldn't wait to get out of college and get a job to start my career and family. I work hard and long hours to learn the ropes and get ahead. Young people today don't seen interested in earning the big salaries. They seem content with making just enough to get buy - or they expect big salaries for just showing up. We didn;t like it but when I entered the work for we were expected to come in early and work late. If you left a 5:00 you were considered a slacker.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Okay, I'm not really a tattoo guy, but I do like some tattoos. That said, I don't get this random tattoos all over the place. None of it is art.. Just random tattoos all over their body. Like Miley Cyrus has.

I also don't get neck and face tattoos nor do I get all the piercings (lips, nose, face, 3+ in an ear) and "rings" create massive gapping holes in their earlobes. I work with very pretty girl at work that is in her mid-30s now and she had done the earlobe thing that actually got ripped out. She said she deeply regrets ever doing that in the first place.

While I don't know for sure. It definitely seems like a deep self-esteem issues to completely deface yourself like that in such a public way that you really cannot hide.

Yeah I'm sure some people will disagree, but that stuff makes absolutely zero sense to me. Like something a 'cutter' would do and that to me is deeply concerning behavior.

 

[Runwildboys]

Okay, I'm not really a tattoo guy, but I do like some tattoos. That said, I don't get this random tattoos all over the place. None of it is art.. Just random tattoos all over their body. Like Miley Cyrus has.

I also don't get neck and face tattoos nor do I get all the piercings (lips, nose, face, 3+ in an ear) and "rings" create massive gapping holes in their earlobes. I work with very pretty girl at work that is in her mid-30s now and she had done the earlobe thing that actually got ripped out. She said she deeply regrets ever doing that in the first place.

While I don't know for sure. It definitely seems like a deep self-esteem issues to completely deface yourself like that in such a public way that you really cannot hide.

Yeah I'm sure some people will disagree, but that stuff makes absolutely zero sense to me. Like something a 'cutter' would do and that to me is deeply concerning behavior.

Gauges are not my preference, nor are a lot of piercings. That said, I know some women who definitely pull it off well.

I don't think any of that is self mutilation. I think, in the worst cases, it's people starved for attention, but for the most part, I just think they like the look.

 

[csirl]

My kids have no interest in TV. They dont understand why I might sit down and watch the news or a TV program. The only time they watch TV is for a live sports event they cant get online.

 

[Tabascocat]

My kids have no interest in TV. They dont understand why I might sit down and watch the news or a TV program. The only time they watch TV is for a live sports event they cant get online.

That’s another thing, the vast majority watch their shows/movies on their phone or iPad. Heck, many don’t even own a TV. I will never get watching anything on their device outside a few minutes clip of something.

 

[YosemiteSam]

That’s another thing, the vast majority watch their shows/movies on their phone or iPad. Heck, many don’t even own a TV. I will never get watching anything on their device outside a few minutes clip of something.

I absolutely despise even web surfing on a mobile device too. It's good to get emails, text message, check time, make calls, navigation, do information lookups in a pinch and maybe burn time when you are waiting on something.

My wife will set on the couch and watch stuff on her phone while she is setting in front of a 50" TV lol.

Hell no!