Young People Are Sharing The Things Older People Hate About Their Generation, And Some Points Were Made
We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us some ridiculous reasons that older people judge younger people. In order to get multiple perspectives, we also asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us the unfair ways young people make fun of or judge older people. You can read that piece HERE. Otherwise, here are the things younger folks are tired of hearing about from older generations:
1."Saying we are 'killing' industries because we can’t afford to support them. I always cringe when I see those articles blaming younger generations for not buying enough of something, whether it’s diamonds, houses, or having big weddings. It’s not our fault we don’t have enough money to pay for luxuries when we live in the economy older generations ruined for us."
2."Belittling a person's choice to come out. They make it seem like it’s not a big deal or 'didn’t happen' in their day."
—Anonymous
3."Judging young people for speaking up for themselves in the workplace and asking for better treatment and better wages!!! I didn't have the guts to do this or the brains to do it right at their age. Now, I hire people and get secretly giddy when a young person (particularly women) ask for more money. I go to bat for them 100% of the time. I do see lazy people, but I see that in ALL age groups pretty evenly. No single generation corners that market!"
"They attack young people for requesting basic rights at our jobs. Sorry, I would like to receive a livable wage like you did or receive health insurance so I don't go into debt if I have to go to the doctor. Or, god forbid I want to take a day off and have PTO for that."
—Anonymous
4."Older people are jealous their influence is diminishing so they lash out at the fresh newcomers who have their whole lives ahead of them. They harass the younger generations who refuse to be indoctrinated as drones for corporations, which I think older people wish they had the guts to do. Instead, they pick on the younger generation for what they did not have the courage to do."
—Anonymous
5."They say we are attached to our phones when they spend more time on their phones than we do."
—Anonymous
"They say we spend too much time online although they were the ones who put a phone in our hands in the first place. Raising us to 'be who we are' and then getting angry when we don’t do exactly what they want us to do. When we find new ways to do stuff that is better fitting into the modern way of living, instead of doing it the 'old-school way' or the way it’s 'always been done.' Telling us that we are lazy and don’t care about our future in terms of a job, housing, family, etc. Try being 25 today and looking for a steady income that will allow you to buy a house fit to start a family, and also be able to have the financial stability to rightfully bring a child into the world. Being angry with us for not automatically respecting someone who is even a day older than us. Excuse me, but being older than me does not give you the right to behave like an ass without consequences!"
—Anonymous
6."Young people are judged for wanting an unconventional job such as an artist or professional gamer. While, yes, sometimes it doesn’t exactly pay great, we want to do it because we want to do what we enjoy and not slave away in an office."
—Anonymous
7."There are so many mean and ridiculous comments older people make about 'kids these days.' They pick on their clothes when they themselves wore bell bottoms and halter tops. Also, they complain about cellphone use though I see just as many senior citizens on cellphones. They harass kids about lack of respect, yet they are often being the disrespectful ones. I can say all this because I'm 70 years old. I have an amazing relationship with my eight grandchildren. They respect me and I respect them. They teach me how to use new technology and keep me updated on new shows to watch and the latest trends. My heart is open to all, but I favor the youth of today. Most youth seem to care about the planet, equal rights, and safety for all. Old people are stuck in the past. I'm sad for them."
—Anonymous
8."Older generations need to stop harassing young people to settle down and have children. America needs to provide much better support to young parents, including parental leave, universal healthcare for children, and subsidized childcare. But it's also a tough proposition to expect new children to be brought into a world that might not exist in 50–100 years."
—Anonymous
"We're judged for waiting to have kids, not having a lot of kids, or not having kids at all. Given inflation, gun violence in schools, climate change, housing costs, and now abortion bans, choosing to have kids is a serious choice and could even be called a luxury."
—Anonymous
"Not having children. I don't want kids. I cannot afford them. But they think a happy life and marriage means having crotch goblins. Mom and Dad, I love you, but you could afford three kids back in the '80s and '90s. Now, in 2022, I have to choose between meat or gas for the week. Not happening."
"Not wanting kids because the world is a hellhole and there are too many people already. I was told that I was selfish, but most reasons they would give me for choosing to have kids were pretty selfish too. Have them so you won't be alone, so someone cares for you at old age, continue your family tree, etc. When I said I would rather adopt kids than give birth, I would be harassed more because it's 'not the same.' Hypocrites!"
—Anonymous
9."The older generation is mad that the younger generation refuses to do what the older generation wants them to do, especially if it means harming their mental health. That, or the older generation is mad they didn't realize they always had a choice to say 'no' to the status quo."
—Anonymous
"Being disabled or mentally ill. 'You can't have X mental illness because you're too young,' or 'You can't be in pain all the time; you're only 20!' are things I've heard from so many older people. Just because I haven't experienced war doesn't mean I can't be mentally ill. Things like sexual abuse and poverty are traumatizing too. And yeah, I shouldn't be in constant pain in my 20s, but here we are. I can't do anything about it, and getting yelled at by boomers is not gonna help."
—Anonymous
10."I worked at Barnes & Noble during college. I love black nail polish, and I have since seventh grade. Older women used to tell me ALL THE TIME that I would be beautiful if I didn’t paint my nails black. 'It’s depressing, and men like a lady’s nails to be pleasant.' I just got to the point where I would tell them I was required to wear it for Satan’s church, and they left pretty quickly."
—Anonymous
11."When they refer to the good old days, they forget that at any given time it was not good for EVERYBODY, just for some people. I say this as a boomer."
—Anonymous
12."Old men get so mad when you tell them that their inappropriate comment on your body isn’t a compliment, and that it’s actually sexual harassment."
—Anonymous
13."I hate when older people are insistent on being addressed as 'ma'am' or 'sir' because it's a sign of respect, then turn around and use bigoted language or refuse to honor someone's pronouns."
—Anonymous
"How they shit on us for honoring people's pronouns. Is it so hard to respect someone by calling them what THEY prefer to be called?? It really isn't."
—Anonymous
14."There's a lot of envy, I think. Most older people realize they aren’t relevant anymore (I am an old so I can say this), and they envy young people who have their whole lives ahead of them and may realize their dreams that the older people probably never will. I say: Go for it, young folks! Most of you are so much more open-minded, you've gone through much tougher times than prior generations financially, and you have the chance to do so much good for the world. I have faith in you!"
15."They give us hell for prioritizing our life over our job and experiences over material things. Our lives do not revolve around the same things yours did. Get over it."
16."I'm a baby boomer. Younger people generally eat healthier than older people. I wish older people would stop harassing them on this. Same with climate change."
—Anonymous
"I hear people in my generation (boomer) constantly complain about the younger folks having special dietary needs/preferences. For example, lactose intolerance, peanut allergy, glucose intolerance, going vegan, etc. The most bullshit aspect of this is that many are legitimate medical conditions and boomers have them too!"
17."Judging new or young parents for how they parent their children. You had your opportunity to raise your own children. Do not push your parenting styles or 'beliefs' on us new/young parents who are trying to figure out how to best raise our children on our own."
18.Finally: "Older generations misunderstand our generation as lazy when in reality we are educated, engaged, productive, and we will change the world for the better in the future."
What are some other ways older folks unfairly judge or call out young people? Tell us in the comments.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
