#i also realise its not like all genz and younger kids but there is like a weird like lack of media they consume or know of

[kaibump]

I dunno man between all these 'have you watched' 'have you read' 'do you know this character' type of poll accounts it really seems like people under a certain age bracket straight up barely consume a lot of media or bother to watch anything older than current seasonal fodder and it's kind of sad tbh

[lonita]

Generations

Back on April 15th, a friend posted a comment to something on Twitter that I wanted to respond to. This is her comment and the DMs I sent her.

"I think adults have always been winging it but older generations had more opportunity than we do so they were able to achieve things easier and it looked like they grew up faster because they ticked off all the boxes, on whatever stage they were "supposed" to be in."

I'm elder GenX, so bear that in mind as I say this.

You aren't wrong. I think some of the expectation are hold-overs from the vestiges of Victorian parenting, the same parenting that left GenX feral in a way because our Silent Gen/Boomer parents had us because they were supposed to. They set up expectations that they told us were the way it was supposed to be, I think in part because they wanted us gone so they could enjoy their golden years in silence.

I think the expectations are BS. Some of it also coming from shorter life expectancy too. You had to get things done faster or you'd never get them done. I think some generations have been infantilised by participation trophy parents as well. It just occurred to me this minute that that might partly come from parents who had no emotional attachment to their kids, so were looking for someone else to fill the gap so they didn't have to.

The money situation, of course, is absolutely part of this. GenX could afford to live on their own at 18 with a crappy job. That is now an impossibility, even for us. A lot of us grew up faster, as you put it, because we had to - for multiple reasons. Not the least of them being some parents would literally punt you out at 18 and tell us we were on our own. I think that created a false adulthood. While we certainly fended for ourselves, the undeveloped inner child got buried in bills and jobs and kids. Everything's been trauma response since.

As for the delayed adulthood of younger generations, I think it's fine. I don't think there's anything wrong with being 40 and still not knowing where your shit's at. At least most of you have some idea that that's what's going on. GenX generally has no idea where its shit is, but can't do anything but pretend otherwise. You aren't doing anything wrong. You're fine, as far as anyone can be. But you're not wrong in that some of your potential is being choked down by boomers who can't/won't retire, and now elder GenX doing similar.

Millennials were the start of a crossroads, I think. The change of priorities from expectations on you, to expectations you have for yourselves. Keeping up with the Joneses is no longer the vibe, for multiple reasons you already know. People are coming to realise that finding your joy is more profitable than being a cog in someone else's pet project. White picket fence suburbia is a bore, and all the generations coming up are generally realising that. Some for reasons of money, and some just because they know it's bullshit.

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It's sad watching Westerners make fun of multi-generational families.

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What I find interesting about the American contingent of GenZ, is that these kids were raised on how to organise things through video gaming, and how to survive active shooter drills - and the adults are shocked they're using it against the establishment. They were left a shit prospect of a future. And they're fighting it.