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I might be reaching here, but it's interesting that the largely Baby Boomer owners of physical retail use language like "millennials killed the mall". Almost a

I might be reaching here, but it's interesting that the largely Baby Boomer owners of physical retail use language like "millennials killed the mall". Almost as if their business model is entitled to succeed forever, and millennials are these antagonists hell-bent on destroying it, when in reality they're simply choosing the commerce experience most convenient. It just continues the narrative that the Boomer generation only loves the free market when it benefits them. I wonder if the silent generation wrote articles claiming the baby boomers are killing public transit by preferring cars/highways.

esoterica 7y ago
Why are you so offended by the use of the word kill? Where does that imply entitlement or the assignation of moral blame? Millenials stopped going to malls, ergo millenials killed the mall. That's just a neutral statement of fact.
- detaro 7y ago
  "tried to" is clearly implying intent.
  - esoterica 7y ago
    1. It does not imply intent, when used in a jocular manner for dramatic effect. People say things like "my Tesla autopilot tried to kill me by steering into the median" even though there is no actual intent to kill there. 2. Even if it did imply intent it does not imply moral blame.
- omni 7y ago
  > Millenials stopped going to malls, ergo millenials killed the mall. That's just a neutral statement of fact. It's not neutral at all. I could just as easily say "Boomer-age owners of retail failed to adapt to changing tastes, ergo boomer-age owners of retail killed the mall." Totally different implications based on wording.
  - EGreg 7y ago
    I guess Millennials killed every single thing that they stopped using. Public libraries were killed off by millennials. Video killed the Radio star. That I can undestand. But saying consumers killed the radio by choosing video? What a weird word choice.
    - esoterica 7y ago
      That's a pretty standard figure of speech. Why do you think it's a weird word choice?
      - majewsky 7y ago
        > That's a pretty standard figure of speech. You're implying a consensus that the downvotes readily disprove.
  - esoterica 7y ago
    > It's not neutral at all. Yes it is. Are we just going to go back and forth like this?

esoterica 7y ago

Why are you so offended by the use of the word kill? Where does that imply entitlement or the assignation of moral blame? Millenials stopped going to malls, ergo millenials killed the mall. That's just a neutral statement of fact.

detaro 7y ago
"tried to" is clearly implying intent.
- esoterica 7y ago
  1. It does not imply intent, when used in a jocular manner for dramatic effect. People say things like "my Tesla autopilot tried to kill me by steering into the median" even though there is no actual intent to kill there. 2. Even if it did imply intent it does not imply moral blame.
omni 7y ago
> Millenials stopped going to malls, ergo millenials killed the mall. That's just a neutral statement of fact. It's not neutral at all. I could just as easily say "Boomer-age owners of retail failed to adapt to changing tastes, ergo boomer-age owners of retail killed the mall." Totally different implications based on wording.
- EGreg 7y ago
  I guess Millennials killed every single thing that they stopped using. Public libraries were killed off by millennials. Video killed the Radio star. That I can undestand. But saying consumers killed the radio by choosing video? What a weird word choice.
  - esoterica 7y ago
    That's a pretty standard figure of speech. Why do you think it's a weird word choice?
    - majewsky 7y ago
      > That's a pretty standard figure of speech. You're implying a consensus that the downvotes readily disprove.
- esoterica 7y ago
  > It's not neutral at all. Yes it is. Are we just going to go back and forth like this?