I’m a little scared for them."
Older members of theBuzzFeed Communityhave shared many things that confuse them about their younger counterparts.
Here’swhat they saidabout some of the most bafflinggenerational differences.
“Taking fake candid photos.
I dont understand how they miss the irony in this.”
Crizzy444
3.
They can’t live for five seconds without looking at their phones."
“I work in healthcare and make a lot of phone calls.
They will pick up and wait for you to say something first.
There’s always a temptation to yell, ‘You’re supposed to say hello!'”
angrygoose50
5.
“I just don’t understand the fascination with watching people’s morning and evening routines on TikTok.
It’s enough for me to look at my own puffy, sleep-ridden face in the morning.
Why would I want to watch someone else’s?”
So,every day,they make all this effort for people they don’t even hang out with.
It blows my mind!!!"
Alex, 51
7.
“The way they are constantly seeking validation through others.
Attention is an addiction, and most people will do anything to get it.”
“Young people love their labels and to be simultaneously offended by everyone and everything.”
Heinzy Baby
9.
They seem to know how to operate a smartphone, but that’s about it.
Their attempts to write essays (or even comprehensible paragraphs) were hot garbage.
They just could not comprehend how to tell if a source was legitimate.
“The way today’s youth puts everything on social media.
I’m a boomer and am so grateful that my youthful behavior is not recorded anywhere.
I probably would not have had the life I’ve had if my past was living in cyberspace.
I was an idiot, and all young people should have that option.
I was allowed fresh starts.
Today’s kids are not, and that’s a shame and a societal problem.”
NYC4EVER
11.
“I find that it’s strange that young people have a hard time using punctuation properly.
Why are we adding spaces before the period?
Also, some Gen Z folks put the dollar sign behind the number (for example 700$).
It’s so strange!
What’s going on in school?!”
I replied, ‘It’s a squeegee.’
She asked me if it was free.
‘How do you know how it works?’
At this point, I offered to teach her…how to use a squeegee.
I left shaking my head."
Leigh
13.
“Recording every moment.
Most of the time, my answer is no: I enjoyed the event.
And I don’t post on social media…”
14.
“Their new language.
Aaron, 32
15.
“The high school students I teach (grades 812) can barely function.
The kids have no self-regulation, problem-solving skills (even at a basic level), or perseverance.
I’ve been a teacher for almost 20 years, and I’ve never seen a generation so helpless.
Many of these students are babied by their parents so heavily.
I’m a little scared for them.”
“The constant need to talk about self-care.
Jim
17.
“The younger generations don’t spend time together in person.
They have full relationships and hangouts over their phones, gaming consoles, or whatever.
They don’t get together and muck about as often.
It’s weird.”
Robin, 53
19.
You are not always being bullied.”
Jill, 66
21.
“The work ethics of younger generations.
They didn’t want to be told what to do or that they were doing something incorrectly.
“The way they talk in incomplete sentences.
‘It’s giving blank.’
It’s ‘giving’ what???
Finish your sentence, just!
I had this Z-splained to me.
No, you’re just lazy.”
Anonymous
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
