6 ms·

I’m a bona fide by birth member of this generation and I feel lightyears out of touch with it. Or maybe the way it’s described in so much reporting so often jus

by dvtrn 8y ago

I’m a bona fide by birth member of this generation and I feel lightyears out of touch with it. Or maybe the way it’s described in so much reporting so often just results in an eye roll of complete jaded disinterest and mild cynicism. Makes me ponder sometimes if the phenomenon happens across other generations or if the ever present nature of having everyone’s “stuff” so accessible online merely amplifies this sense of generational malaise.

symfoniq 8y ago
I know exactly what you mean.
rossenberg79 8y ago
People like you exist in every generation. Each generation has their own term for them. In the past maybe it would have been names like “nerd”, “geek”, “wiener”, “dufus” or “poindexter”, but I’m not sure what they are called today. In any case, people who were members of these minority groups were commonly subjected to teasing or even bullying by the others for not fitting in.
- tomc1985 8y ago
  Most of those names imply other character traits, not just a sense of generational malaise
misterdoubt 8y ago
That's pretty typical, because the "generational" stereotypes are nearly entirely nonsense. What percentage of "Generation X" actually went around wearing flannel and rolling their eyes all day? How many Boomers actually wore tie dye every day, smoked pot, and lived in free love communes? Generational characterizations exist solely to sell books, write silly columns, and make older people feel justified when they dismiss and disrespect the younger people.
- asveikau 8y ago
  > and make older people feel justified I think it's mostly this. Let's not forget though that the generational dismissal sometimes happens in both directions, eg. those tie-dyed boomers cut their hair and voted for Reagan, now they sit around and complain about the young types for not affording a home, unaware of how easy they had it and their role in wrecking the system. (These are a few of the stereotypes anyway.)
  - m0zg 8y ago
    It cuts both ways. When I was younger (I'm in my 40s now) I did plenty of my own complaining. It's pretty natural for younger people to be poorer: they had less time to accumulate wealth. It's also pretty natural for generations to complain about each other. Other people pretty much universally see 20-somethings as total shitheads, because that's what they mostly are. I say this with full understanding that I too was a shithead in my 20's, and I'm still a shithead to an older, wiser person.
- caprese 8y ago
  "hey look how prideful I am in being out of touch!" Senators feel the same way when they brag about never having sent an email
- rjf72 8y ago
  Stereotypes in general exist because a 'sufficiently large' percent of a population abide them. What sufficiently large means is not easy to define, but it's not like they're completely arbitrary. Look at one important thing you're doing, perhaps not consciously, in your comment. You chose to focus on physical expressions (wearing flannel, wearing tie dye, smoking pot, etc) as opposed to ideological views or values and characteristics. Reality can often get in the way of expression so by referencing it alone you substantially undercount 'adherents.' For instance one of the stereotypes of millennials is extreme narcissism, but this doesn't necessarily manifest in everybody having some social media account where they endlessly post selfies of themselves. Though, at least in this case, the number engaged in that behavior alone probably justifies the stereotype. And by contrast boomers were most well known for, in general, a rejection of traditional views and values. The success of the civil rights movement alone testifies to the widespread nature of this change in the zeitgeist. Really though you can perhaps see this even more clearly by looking how much the US changes its zeitgeist just about every 20 years: - Roaring 20s - Warring 40s - Peace and Love 60s - Corporate 80s - Identity Politic 2000s - ?? 2020s Of course there are many exceptions to these sort of characterizations - but that's what stereotypes tend to be: things that hold true, for a 'sufficiently large' chunk of a population. That of course does not preclude many people not abiding the stereotypes.
uberdam 8y ago
Looking at the aesthetic, it seems like it's just another cultural shift towards faux apathy and cynicism in response to a preceding culture that tried too hard to be perfect. Just like grunge followed 80's consumerism and raw punk responded to overly produced sounds in the 70's, this is a reaction to the professional consumerization of instagram. If these looks succeed, they will be copied, taken mainstream, and made nauseating until new "young people" respond with opposite styles again. Round we go.
- dvtrn 8y ago
  Like a certain group in the 80's once said "big wheel in the sky keep on turnin'"?
deathanatos 8y ago
So much this. Someone needs to poll millennials to show this. I've never had avocado toast, and when I hear "Instagram influencer" it either comes across as "marketer"(/model) or someone who is spending way to much time online. And let's edit our photos a different way — so they seem genuine. Oh, the irony. And half the time all I want are shoes or clothing that fit, and often that criteria eliminates 95+% of the stock stores seem to keep these days.
- Kirth 8y ago
  > half the time all I want are shoes or clothing that fit, and often that criteria eliminates 95+% of the stock stores seem to keep these days. I feel you: have wasted many hours the past two years in clothing stores to discover nothing fits (in ways that can't easily be corrected by tailors). Haven't managed to buy much new clothing in the past few years because of it.
- lawlessone 8y ago
  >I've never had avocado toast, I thought that was just something older people say to explain why young people can't afford homes, while avoiding the fact the old are eating the young. "oh you can't afford rent? , better stop with the avocado toast silly millennial"
  - dvtrn 8y ago
    Back in my day "avocado toast" was called bruschetta and nobody gave anybody shit for enjoying it, gosh darnit :P
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]

by dvtrn 8y ago

symfoniq 8y ago

I know exactly what you mean.

rossenberg79 8y ago

People like you exist in every generation. Each generation has their own term for them. In the past maybe it would have been names like “nerd”, “geek”, “wiener”, “dufus” or “poindexter”, but I’m not sure what they are called today. In any case, people who were members of these minority groups were commonly subjected to teasing or even bullying by the others for not fitting in.

tomc1985 8y ago
Most of those names imply other character traits, not just a sense of generational malaise

misterdoubt 8y ago

That's pretty typical, because the "generational" stereotypes are nearly entirely nonsense. What percentage of "Generation X" actually went around wearing flannel and rolling their eyes all day? How many Boomers actually wore tie dye every day, smoked pot, and lived in free love communes? Generational characterizations exist solely to sell books, write silly columns, and make older people feel justified when they dismiss and disrespect the younger people.

asveikau 8y ago
> and make older people feel justified I think it's mostly this. Let's not forget though that the generational dismissal sometimes happens in both directions, eg. those tie-dyed boomers cut their hair and voted for Reagan, now they sit around and complain about the young types for not affording a home, unaware of how easy they had it and their role in wrecking the system. (These are a few of the stereotypes anyway.)
- m0zg 8y ago
  It cuts both ways. When I was younger (I'm in my 40s now) I did plenty of my own complaining. It's pretty natural for younger people to be poorer: they had less time to accumulate wealth. It's also pretty natural for generations to complain about each other. Other people pretty much universally see 20-somethings as total shitheads, because that's what they mostly are. I say this with full understanding that I too was a shithead in my 20's, and I'm still a shithead to an older, wiser person.
caprese 8y ago
"hey look how prideful I am in being out of touch!" Senators feel the same way when they brag about never having sent an email
rjf72 8y ago
Stereotypes in general exist because a 'sufficiently large' percent of a population abide them. What sufficiently large means is not easy to define, but it's not like they're completely arbitrary. Look at one important thing you're doing, perhaps not consciously, in your comment. You chose to focus on physical expressions (wearing flannel, wearing tie dye, smoking pot, etc) as opposed to ideological views or values and characteristics. Reality can often get in the way of expression so by referencing it alone you substantially undercount 'adherents.' For instance one of the stereotypes of millennials is extreme narcissism, but this doesn't necessarily manifest in everybody having some social media account where they endlessly post selfies of themselves. Though, at least in this case, the number engaged in that behavior alone probably justifies the stereotype. And by contrast boomers were most well known for, in general, a rejection of traditional views and values. The success of the civil rights movement alone testifies to the widespread nature of this change in the zeitgeist. Really though you can perhaps see this even more clearly by looking how much the US changes its zeitgeist just about every 20 years: - Roaring 20s - Warring 40s - Peace and Love 60s - Corporate 80s - Identity Politic 2000s - ?? 2020s Of course there are many exceptions to these sort of characterizations - but that's what stereotypes tend to be: things that hold true, for a 'sufficiently large' chunk of a population. That of course does not preclude many people not abiding the stereotypes.

uberdam 8y ago

Looking at the aesthetic, it seems like it's just another cultural shift towards faux apathy and cynicism in response to a preceding culture that tried too hard to be perfect. Just like grunge followed 80's consumerism and raw punk responded to overly produced sounds in the 70's, this is a reaction to the professional consumerization of instagram. If these looks succeed, they will be copied, taken mainstream, and made nauseating until new "young people" respond with opposite styles again. Round we go.

dvtrn 8y ago
Like a certain group in the 80's once said "big wheel in the sky keep on turnin'"?

deathanatos 8y ago

So much this. Someone needs to poll millennials to show this. I've never had avocado toast, and when I hear "Instagram influencer" it either comes across as "marketer"(/model) or someone who is spending way to much time online. And let's edit our photos a different way — so they seem genuine. Oh, the irony. And half the time all I want are shoes or clothing that fit, and often that criteria eliminates 95+% of the stock stores seem to keep these days.

Kirth 8y ago
> half the time all I want are shoes or clothing that fit, and often that criteria eliminates 95+% of the stock stores seem to keep these days. I feel you: have wasted many hours the past two years in clothing stores to discover nothing fits (in ways that can't easily be corrected by tailors). Haven't managed to buy much new clothing in the past few years because of it.
lawlessone 8y ago
>I've never had avocado toast, I thought that was just something older people say to explain why young people can't afford homes, while avoiding the fact the old are eating the young. "oh you can't afford rent? , better stop with the avocado toast silly millennial"
- dvtrn 8y ago
  Back in my day "avocado toast" was called bruschetta and nobody gave anybody shit for enjoying it, gosh darnit :P
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]